HISTORIA 


Quarterly—By  W.  Campbell,  in  Charge  of  the  Oklahoma  Historical  Society 


Volume  8,  No.  8      State  Capitol,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla.t  Oct.l,  1921.         Whole  Nnmber  43 


HISTORIA — Entered  as   second-class   matter  at  the    Oklahoma    City   postoffice    under   the    laws    of    1896. 


T\5l 


[fj  TO   THE   GOLDEN    STATE   THROUGH   LANDS   THAT  Vihall    I    call    you    that?"      "Why,    bless   you— I    like    to    be 
LIE   BETWEEN  called   "Lizzie,"    as  she   nudges   and   smiles.      It  proves   an 

uneven  game,  for  Mr.  Drum  can  scarcely  wedge  in  a  word. 


Without  notes,  memory  alone  must  serve  in  this  story.  The 
exact  dates  are  not  given.  The  "Traveler"  is  substituted  for 
the  pronoun  "I"  and  conventional  "we." 

FOR  his  first  vacation  in  seventeen  years  the 
custodian  decided  to  visit  the  Pacific  coast,  about 
the  only  section  of  the  United  States  he  had  never 
visited.  The  start  was  made  via  the  Santa  Fe, 
July  11,  first  stop  being  at  Newton,  Kansas,  where 
he  enjoyed  a  brief  visit  with  Editor  Napier  of  The 
Kansan,  and  to  whom  in  1903  the  writer  sold  the 
Newton  Journal,  ta'iing  the  Cheney  Sentinel  in 
part  payment.  Soon  after  this,  John  Mack  who 
ran  The  Kansan,  was  appointed  to  an  agricultural 
position  in  the  Philippines,  and  Mr.  Napier 
then  assumed  management  of  The  Kansan, 
selling  the  Journal  to  other  parties. 

Mr.  Napier  is  a  thorough  newspaper  man  and  has  kept 
The  Daily  Kansan  fully  up  to  a  metropolitan  standard. 

About  one  hundred  miles  or  so  out  came  the  first  halt 
after  leaving  Newton,  this  being  a  through  train.  Thus  far 
the  Traveler  had  occupied  the  smoker,  but  now  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  stop,  decided  to  move  his  baggage  to  the 
day  coach — next  car  in  front.  Just  as  he  opened  the  door 
leading  to  the  vestibule  he  noticed  a  young  woman  hurriedly 
edging  her  way  to  the  coach  platform  which  she  quickly 
ascended  without  waiting  for  the  usual  assistance  by  the 
porter.  In  one  hand  is  a  bandana  handkerchief  in  which 
it  later  developed  are  bundled  her  only  belongings.  Her 
manner  is  all  the  mort  noticeable  as  when  edging  her  w?  y 
to  the  coach  platform  she  kept  casting  her  eyes  this  w«  y 
and  that,  and  as  soon  as  she  reaches  the  platform  she  makis 
a  hasty  dive  into  the  coach  as  if  avoiding  someone,  and 
becomes  invisible  until  after  near  another  hundred  m  le 
post  had  been  passed.  Meantime  the  Traveler  finds  a 
seat  on  the  isle  end  a  couple  of  seats  from  the  forward 
one.  Beside  him  next  the  window  is  a  woman  of  per- 
haps forty  years  of  age,  and  the  seat  just  in  front  is 
occupied  by  a  woman  next  the  window  and  a  man  with 
the  appearance  of  a  drummer  at  the  isle  end.  His  seat- 
mate  is  rather  a  trim  figure,  in  a  wardrobe  of  Parisian 
effect  including  a  loud  and  gorgeously-trimmed  head-gear. 
Her  face  is  on  the  thin  order,  sufficiently  dished,  with  nose 
and  chin  in  close  communion;  of  somewhat  attractive  ap- 
pearance withal — at  first  sight.  This  isle  end  occupant  who, 
for  want  of  a  more  appropriate  name  will  be  known  as  Mr. 
Drum,  and  the  other — forces  recognition  as  Mrs.  Gab,  both 
f^  whom  are  well  up  in  a  play-way  to  comport  with  their 
[aliases.  Mr.  D.,  who  had  evidently  but  recently  boarded 
Ithe  train,  at  least  the  day  coach,  begins  at  once  a  typical 
[drummer  campaign  with  foul  pieces  in  ready  motion.  He 
[presents  a  card.  This  is  scanned  a  moment  and  then — 
iwith  wide  eyes  and  a  smile  of  joy — "Indeed,  I  am  pleased 
[to  meet  you;  my  name  is  Snodgrass — Lizzie  Snodgrass — 
10 ! — MISS,"  with  an  emphasis  on  the  "Miss."  "Ah,  Lizzie — 


She  is  a  real  gabber  from  Gabriel.  "Now,  I  am  sure  the 
way  will  not  be  lonesome.  I  am  not  much  of  a  talker,  you 
see,  but  I  love  to  listen,  and — (crowding  still  closer),  and  I 
am  sure  you  will  be  so  entertaining  and — where  did  you 
say  you  were  from?  Oh,  yes.  Are  you  on  a  pleasure  trip 
or- — or — on  business?  Do  you  expect  to  be  gone  long?  To 
meet  someone — a  lady  of  course?"  as  she  pauses  just  long 
enough  to  look  roguish,  with  an  elbow  nudge.  "Or" — as  she 
primpts  and  hesitates,  "your  wife — "Wife?  Alas?  as  he 
sighs,  "I  have  never  met  her  yet  until — "  There  is  a  blush 
and  a  handkerchief  flirt.  Thus  the  gab,  gab,  gab,  without 
stint  or  let  up.  Now  my  new  companion  has  dropped  into 
a  doze,  her  head  resting  on  the  seat  baei.  As  the  doze 
lengthens,  her  head  begins  losing  its  moorings  until  resting — 
I  had,  after  an  invariable  custom,  my  left  arm  stretched  on 
the  seat  back,  and  first  thing  I  knew  a  head  of  beautiful 
hair  was  snugged  up  against  my  bosom,  and  involuntarily 
the  stretched  out  arm  made  a  circle.  Just  then  the  con- 
ductor came  along,  and  as  I  had  changed  coaches  he  reached 
out  for  ticket.  I  had  left  in  the  check  in  the  window  jam 
of  the  smoker,  the  fact  of  course  I  convinced  the  man  with 
a  punch.  Giving  finger  flips — "Your  wife — "  but  he  dis- 
covered her  check  in  the  window  jam  and  passed  on.  At 
the  word  "wife"  the  pair  in  front  looked  gossip  at  each 
other,  then  each  sat  back  stark  and  stiff.  "My  wife!"  Look- 
ing down  into  a  really  lovable  countenance,  a  loud  trace  of 
past  trials  seaming  up  through  the  sunlight  playing  over 
her  face.  A  slight  lurch  of  the  coach  awakens  the  sleeper, 
and  with  embarrassed  stare  she  arouses,  and  endeavors  to 
square  herself  and  regain  bearings.  "I  beg  your  pardon, 


Juarez    Scene — See    Page    13. 

sir,"  says  she  while  adjusting  her  hair  in  an  effort  to 
recover  composure.  "I  failed  to  secure  a  Pullman  and  have 
slept  scarcely  a  wink  for— nearly  forty-eight  hours."  "No 
pardon  is  due — in  fact  it  was  a  pleasure  to  pillow — with 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


regret  in  fact  that  the  jar  awakened  you  so  soon.  Then,  "my 
wife?"  for  the  moment  the  Traveler  fairly  wished  it  could 
have  been  spoken  in  verity.  She  is  a  well-preserved  woman 
of  perhaps  forty  summers,  with  a  really  beautiful  face,  made 
more  so  through  a  modest  expression  born  of  womanly  no- 
bility; not  pretty,  but  lovable,  with  a  self  reserve  that  com- 
ports with  those  shades  of  past  trials;  which  now  and  then 
seams  up  through  the  sunshine  ever  in  play  over  her  coun- 
tenance. And  as  the  Traveler  sits  there  his  mind  drifts 
bae's — yonder  in  the  years  of  long  ago.  Like  dreams 
wherein  time  is  timeless  and  there  is  no  space.  For  that 
moment  his  soul  wings  away  from  its  tenemant  of  mortal, 
and  in  vision  appears  two  souls  in  sweet  communion,  and 
bonded  unity  wandering  beneath  a  bow  of  promise,  in  the 
measurable;  not  the  ecstacy  of  youthful  passion  so  often 
fickle,  but  of  that  mature  cast  that  is  most  deep,  earnest 
and  that  never  dies.  Along  luring  paths  frinjred  with 
blooming  shrubs,  now  resting  on  a  rustic  bench  in  the  shade 
of  flower  hursts  laden  with  sweet  breaths  of  summer  bloom. 
At  their  feet  a  fountain  sprays  up  from  the  center  of  a 
minature  lake  harboring  numerous  pond  lillies;  beyond  and 
near  through  the  fragrant  copse  a  glimpse  of  the  broad 
sea  with  its  hooded  shores  riding  here  and  there  the 
billowy  crests,  and  the  moon  in  pale  radiance  hanging  low 
in  the  blue  depths,  and  dancing  with  the  diamond-set  crystal 
beyond  the  farther  rim  of  ocean,  and  her  image  mirrored 
waves.  His  eyes  the  moment  on  vacant  ppace  and  mind  in 
the  silence  of  awe  born  in  fruition  of  life's  ardent  hope,  one 
hand  clasping  a  small  volume  minus  its  cover  which  had 
been  torn  away.  Her  eyrs  a  moment  fixed  admiringly  on 
the  fountain  and  cream-tinted  lilies,  then  off  through  rent 
seams  of  intervening  coppage  out  unin  a  blue  expanse  on 
romping  waters.  "Seasame  and  T,illie,"  she  lisps  in  solus 
mood,  soft  and  low,  yet  so  audible  that  it  brought  the 
Traveler  from  the  reverie  in  which  he  had  fallen,  and  in- 
voluntarily, unwisely  he  echoes  in  soloquizing  tone  .lust 
above  a  whisper — to  himself — "Seasame  and  Lillies,"  Then 
recovering.  "Why — what  choice  taste  in  literature."  "Well, 
I  don't  know.  I  am  not  much  of  a  reader,  this  being  the 
extent  of  my  library,"  with  a  faint  smile.  "Ruskin  seems  to 
have  been  a  family  heir-loom  which  I  must  have  inherited. 
See,"  as  she  pointed  to  a  time-dimmed  signature  on  the 
lower  margin  of  the  title  page.  "That  is  my  mother's  name 
in  her  own  hand.  This  volume  was  her  companion  and  she 
was  never  without  it.  So,  you  see,  it  is  indeed  an  heir- 
loom and  is  the  only  thing  I  have  by  which  I  know  I  ever 
had  a  mother."  In  sections  the  story  of  her  past  was  grad- 
ually unreeled. 

Now  returning  to  the  twain  in  the  seat  in  front.  That 
effeminate  voice  still  in  evidence  roling  from  that  swiveled 
tongue.  Evidently  Mr.  Drum  is  slightly  weary  of  it,  which 
probably  Miss  Gab  discovers,  for  she  turns  her  voice-tattry 
diagonally  across  to  the  Traveler  sitting  there  and  enjoying 
the  lingual  shower  with  about  the  same  comfort  the  street 
unchin  enjoys  a  cold  bath  by  grandma.  Like  the  proverbial 
manger  story;  though  Mr.  Drum  had  seeming  his  plenty  he 
didn't  want  any  one  else  to  have  a  chance;  or  was  it  out  of 
sympathy,  and  he  would  save  the  trials  through  which  he  has 
gone?  And  every  time  Miss  Gab  cranes  over  the  seat  back 
he.figits.  Finally  he  turns  and  poking  his  face  almost  into 
the  Travelers:  "Perhaps  we  had  better  change  seats."  Then 
shifting  with  vamp  evidence  he  seeks  to  engage  the  Travel- 
er's seat  companion,  but  she  simply  sat  stoic  and  totally 
ignored  him. 

Now,  across  the  aisle  a  gentleman  has  the  window  end, 
the  aisle  portion  vacant.  Into  this  Mr.  Drum  slides.  The 
scat  back  of  this  is  vacant,  about  this  time  a  young  woman 
brushes  in  and  seats  herself  next  the  window  'and  crouched 
low  with  her  face  screened  bv  a  folded  newspaper  as  if 
endeavoring  to  hide  from  bring  observed.  Is  it  that  the 
conductor  might  overlook  her?  Is  she  escaping  from 
some  prison  or  reform  school  or  from  pursuing  officers,  or 
The  Traveler  noticing  that  his  seat-companion  shows 
rowsy  signs  he  suggests  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  sur- 
render, and  proffering  his  overcoat  as  head-rest,  takes  the 


aisle  end  of  the  seat  beside  the  mysterious  figure  who  proved 
to  be  the  same  who  boarded  the  train  and  mysteriously  dis- 
appeared as  previously  related.  Meantime  Miss  Gab  shoves 
to  the  aisle  end  of  the  seat  just  vacated  by  Mr.  Drum.  Not 
in  the  least  bluffed  she  keeps  up  her  talky-talk  as  she 
cranes  across  the  aisle,  now  and  then  catching  the  recreant 
Mr.  Drum  by  the  arm  to  make  him  set  up  and  take  notice. 
He  evidently  endeavoring  to  smother  that  flame  for  some 
other,  anyone.  Finally  he  turns  to  the  mystery  occupant 
and  impertinently  pulls  her  paper  screen  aside  peering  down 
into  her  face.  Just  then  there  is  a  tinge  of  ire  in  the 
Traveler's  make-up  and  it  takes  more  courage  to  avoid  a 
scene  than  to  risk  once.  The  young  woman  looked  up  and 
then  dives  lower  and  draws  her  screen  closer.  Finally  the 
Traveler  becomes  more  curious  than  discreet,  and  fairly  un- 
conscious of  it,  tips  the  screen  sufficiently  to  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  face  of  the  stranger,  who  is  perhaps  20,  possibly  a 
few  years  older,  complexion  slightly  rouged  with  outdoor 
life,  but  clean  and  clear  without  a  blotching  mar;  large  lus- 
trous brown  eyes  inclined  to  the  dreamy.  Her  hair  a  wealth 
of  flowing  silky  raven,  just  a  trifle  wavy.  At  this  juncture 
Mr.  Drum  makes  another  venture  by  again  tipping  the  screen 
at  which  she  again  gives  him  a  withering  stare  as  her  large 
eyes  flash  a  fiery  resentment,  as  she  reaches  beneath  her 
front  dress  uncovers  and  seizes  hold  of  what  turned  out 
to  be  a  polished  five-inch  steel  dagger  with  ivory  hilt  and 
silver  guards.  Confession  is  made  that  a  sort  of  cold  per- 
spiration came  over  the  Traveler,  but  conquering  his  feelings 
he  simply  asks  in  as  unconcerned  way  as  possible  under  the 
circumstances  why  she  carries  that  ugly  thing.  "He  will 
find  out  if  he  does  that  way  to  me  again,"  she  fairly  hisses 
with  a  side-glance  savagely  toward  Mr.  Drum  who  has 
turned  his  face  to  the  tune  of  Miss  Gab  who  has  him  by 
the  arm  in  the  midst  of  a  word-volly,  something  about  how 
lonesome  she  would  have  been  if — ."  "Surely  one  so  beauti- 
ful, so  charming  and  so," — there  she  reaches  down  again 
beneath  her  front  lacings,  and  for  the  moment  the  Traveler's 
heart  forgets  its  harmonious  throb;  but  it  is  not  a  dagger 
this  time,  only  a  crumpled  bit  of  paper.  The  Traveler 
takes  the  wrinkles  out,  and  to  his  amazement  there  is  a 
title  page — "Seasame  and  Lillies !"  "No,"  she  says,  reaching 
for  the  paper,  which  she  turns  and  hands  back,  on  the 
reverse  side  in  neat  script  a  copy  of  the  Gypsy's  Warning. 
Then  looking  up  in  seeming  confidence:  "Of  course  I  would 
not  use  that,"  and  she  grasps  again  the  silver  hilt,  "only  so 
many  men  think  a  poor  girl  is  for  their  sport;  but  Veva — 
that  is  why  I  T^eep  this."  Then  in  a  voice  sweet  though 
tinged  with  sad  sighs,"  Maybe  I  have  to  quit  this  way."  She 
points  the  dagger  toward  her  bosom.  Just  at  this  point 
the  conductor  makes  appearance  and  after  finding  the  Trav- 
eler's check  reaches  for  a  ticket  from  the  crouching  girl,  at  the 
same  time  tapping  her  on  the  shoulder.  With  a  faint  fright 
she  looks  up  into  the  conductor's  face  and  then  into  the 
Traveler's.  There  is  a  quiver  of  the  lips  and  her  eyes  are 
of  the  most  passionate  pleading,  just  a  bit  of  evidence  of 
past  falling  tears  and  little  crystal  globes  stealing  down  each 
cheek.  "Ticket,"  says  the  conductor  as  he  gives  the  thin- 
veiled  arm  a  shake  that  amounts  almost  to  a  pinch.  She 
draws  back  in  fairy  fright,  then  reaching  up  emploringly, 
"Please,  Mr.  conductor;  I — I  have  no  ticket."  She  is  then 
asked  where  she  was  going  at  which  she  scans  pathetically 
first  the  Traveler  and  then  at  the  Conductor.  "Come,  I 
have  no  time  to  fool  away.  Ticket  of  pay — or — "  "No!  no! 
I  have  no  ticket,  no  money;  don't,  please,  don't  put  me  off!" 
With  this  she  takes  the  Traveler's  arm  gently  and  with  a 
pleading  more  eloquent  than  uttered  words.  When  he 
looked  into  those  streaming  eyes  and  fairly  shared  in  the 
tremor  of  that  sweet  voice  and  the  questioning  quiver  of 
her  lips  his  soul  went  out  at  once — first  in  that  pity  that 
bids  to  sympathy  which  is  so  often  the  "iey  to  a  tender 
heart — aye,  ripening  into  unconscious  love.  "Where  are 
suring  tone.  "I  don't  know — anywhere — anywhere — don't 
you  going,  my  little  girl?"  was  enquired  in  a  low  and  as- 
please  don't  let  him  put  me  off,"  and  she  buried  her  face  in 
her  hands  on  the  velvet  seat  back  in  front  of  her.  The 


Bsn 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


conductor  was  handed  a  bill  and  told  to  take  out  for  Palmer 
Lake,  which  he  did,  gave  the  usual  punched  receipt,  remark- 
ing that  "Your  ticket  is  for  Denver."  "That  is  none  of 
your  affair,"  in  rather  meaning  tone,  and  the  conductor 
passed  on.  Very  soon  the  strange  little  woman  seemed  to 
impose  full  confidence  in  the  Traveler,  at  the  same  time 
kept  watching,  with  a  slight  startle  whenever  any  new 
person  entered  the  coach  and  occasionally  dodging  down  in 
the  seat  as  if  to  avoid  being  discovered. 

The  story  would  be  too  long  and  tedious  for  full  re- 
cital; hence,  hoping  to  give  it  in  greater  detail  some  time 
in  the  future,  only  a  bare  gist  is  given  here. 

She  had  retained-  family  memories  as  her  mother  re- 
cited and  re-recited  them,  and  through  scraps  of  paper  she 
had  through  all  the  years  managed  to  keep.  She  said  in 
part  that  her  grandfather's  name  was  Victor  Emanuel  Ven- 
trcla:  that  her  grandmother,  from  whom  her  daughter  "my 
mother,"  she  said,  inherited  her  name,  was  '"known  as  Lady 
Ventrcla.  They  belonged  to  the  old  Italian  nobility  who 
taught  their  children  that  the  unforgivable  crime  was  to 
do  any  sort  of  work  or  associate  with  any  of  the  common 
herd.  Her  mother,  therefore,  reared  in  idle  luxury  until 
yOung  womanhood.  One  evening  a  roving  Gypsy  minstrel 
turned  his  voice  loose  under  the  father's  mansion  window, 
>with  guitar  accompaniment.  He  was  rather  of  the  higher  of 
rovers,  dressed  in  rich  silks  in  the  gypsy  minstrel  fashion 
and  possessed  a  rare  contralto  voice.  He  made  his  way, 
however,  by  just  such  musical  turns,  relying  upon  the 
pennies  and  dimes,  and  not  unfrequently  larger  sums  tossed 
him.  A  clandestine  glance  brought  the  two  young  people's 
eyes  in  a  focus  on  each  other,  and  from  that  on  young 
took  the  wrinkles  out,  and  to  his  amazement  there  is  a 
Galvini  was  so  frequently  seen  beneath  that  mansion  window 
that  the  parents  harshly  ordered  him  from  the  premises, 
and  to  never  show  himself  in  that  vicinity  again.  Result 
was — stealing  from  the  parental  room  to  hold  secret  trysts, 
wanderings  along  silent  paths,  occasionally  out  to  the  camp 
of  the  roving  band  where  she  was  soon  looked  upon  as  one 
of  their  own  caste,  Young  Galvani  taught  her  to  play  the 
guitar,  to  beat  the  tamborene,  to  sing  short  gypsy  sketches 
and  dance  the  camp  whirls.  Finally  the  tongue  of  gossip 
reached  the  parental  ear,  and — the  poor  little  bewitched  girl 
was  cast  from  the  family  roof  as  an  outcast,  to  be  ever 
after  shunned  by  her  old  associates  as  one  beneath  their 
countenance.  She  had  dared  to  mingle  with  a  class  below 
her  station,  with  one,  worst  of  all,  without  that  blood  which 
courses  alone  in  the  veins  of  effete  nobility.  For  a  time  she 
secured  work  at  various  resorts  singing  and  doing  musical 
and  dance  turns,  thence  to  the  street  as  a  flower  girl. 
Result,  a  marriage  with  the  young  roving  minstrel. 

Meantime  she  had  saved  up  enough  to  start  him  up 
with  a  small  fruit  and  flower  stand.  But  after  a  few 
weeks  the  husband  too'~j  suddenly  ill  and  died  within  a  few 
days.  This  left  the  young  wife  absolutely  stranded  except 
the  little  fruit  and  flower  stand  which  she  sold  and  with 
the  proceeds  took  passage  on  an  emigrant  steamer  for 
America.  On  landing  at  Castle  Garden  she  was  ordered 
returned  as  an  undesirable  person,  being  without  visible 
means  of  support.  But  at  a  fortunate  moment  one  of  those 
kindly  charitable  souls  who  through  curiosity  happened  to 
be  at  the  Castle  Garden  wharf  to  see  the  landing  of  emi- 
grants from  every  part  of  the  world.  For  some  reason  she 
became  attracted  by  the  young  woman,  and  with  her  char- 
acteristic spirit  of  kindness  induced  the  officials  to  trust 
the  young  woman  to  her  care,  pointing  out  that  her  condi- 
tion forbade  deportation.  She  was  taken  to  a  wholesome 
though  unpretentious  house  in  the  suburbs  and  cared  for 
until  after  the  birth  of  her  child — the  present  Veva,  and 
until  strong  enough  to  do  light  work,  first  in  the  family, 
then  as  a  waitress  at  a  city  restaurant,  little  Veva  being 
cared  for  in  the  meantime  by  the  kindly  woman  at  the 
humble  home.  Being  yet  young,  of  more  than  passing 
beauty  and  attraction,  intellectual,  withal,  she  was  soon 
given  charge  of  the  cash  register.  Not  long  subsequently  a 
young  burly  double-fisted  fellow  with  savage  jaws  put  in 
an  appearance  and  was  employed  as  a  sort  of  bouncer — to 


see  that  no  one  got  away  without  putting  up.  A  strange 
infatuation  sprang  up  between  the  two — not  on  his  part, 
but  on  hers,  and  notwithstanding  there  was  no  line  in  com- 
mon in  their  looks,  their  intellectual  qualities,  their  dispo- 
sitions, their  likes  and  dislikes,  a  marriage  resulted  in  both 
beng  unceremoniously  fired.  Dan  Carter — that  was  the 
name  of  the  duffer,  secured  a  small  shack  where  he  took 
his  wife  and  Veva,  farming  the  former  out  first  at  one 
place  and  then  another,  zealously  appropriating  her  small 
wage  as  fast  as  it  came  in,  which  he  spent  in  debauch  and 
riot  with  the  three  accompanying  graces  known  around  the 
bar  as  cards,  wine  and  women.  This  life  of  drudge  and 
cruelty  at  last  became  so  unbearable  that  the  frail  wife,  who 
had  secretly  hidden  away  enough  of  her  earnings  to  ta-'ie 
her  to  the  west,  decided  to  make  the  venture.  Accordingly 
when  one  evening  she  laid  off  from  work  and  quietly 
bundled  her  belongings,  Carter  came  home  with  his  usual 
savage  grin,  and  flopped  on  the  bed  in  a  maudling  stupor. 
Taking  advantage  of  his  plight  she  quietly  gathered  her 
bundle  with  one  hand  and  little  Veva  with  the  other,  made 
her  way  to  the  rural  station.  She  intended  making  her 
way  into  the  Colorado  mountains  where  she  might  be  more 
reasonably  safe  from  pursuit;  for  she  felt  sure  Carter 
would  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  locate  her,  not  that  he 
cared  other  than  for  the  wage  she  could  bring  in  on  which 
to  keep  up  his  debauches. 

It  was  found  that  her  scant  fund  would  only  secure 
fare  to  Garden  City,  Kansas,  to  which  point  she  was  landed 
in  due  course  of  time,  sleeping  in  the  chair  car  on  the  way, 
and  living  on  a  scanty  lunch  prepared  before  leaving.  O'n 
landing  at  Garden  City  it  was  evening  and  the  sun  was  just 
sinking  in  a  blaze  of  firy  red  betokening  one  of  those  sand 
storms  which  not  unfrequently  rose  in  that  region  as  if  on 
the  wings  of  instant  fiat,  so  furious  and  fierce  and  driving 
that  no  eye  could  penetrate  nor  human  feet  pass  through. 
The  only  other  person  on  the  platform  was  a  man  of  per- 
haps 40  years  of  age  who  noticing  the  strange  woman  with 
a  child  made  bold  to  ask  her  if  she  expected  to  meet  friends. 
In  a  sort  of  evasive  "yes,"  the  woman  gathered  her  bundle 
in  one  hand  and  little  Veva  in  the  other.  But  her  uncertain 
manner,  vague  wandering  her  eyes  about  was  at  once  in- 
terpreted, but  without  venturing  the  suspicion  she  was  asked 
if  she  would  accept  aid  in  reaching  a  hotel,  to  which  she 
gave  assent  in  a  voice  and  manner  that  but  added  to  the; 
gentleman's  suspicions.  He  took  her  bundle  and  in  a  few 
paces  stopped  in  front  of  a  hotel  offering  to  escort  her  in. 
But  here  she  hesitated,  looking  around  in  a  sort  of  be- 
wildered puzzle.  "Isn't  there  a — a — cheaper  place?"  she 
stammered,  at  which  little  Veva  whispered  to  her  mother. 
She  had  saved  up  a  few  pennies,  dimes  and  quarters,  and  this 
is  what  she  whispered  to  her  mother. 

Her  new  benefactor  now  completely  sized  the  situation, 
but  still  hid  it  behind  a  kindly  semblance.  "I  am  sure  you 
must  be  very  tired,"  he  said,  "and  if  you  will  accept  it  I  will 
be  glad  to  have  you  stop  over  the  night  at  my  home  only 
a  short  distance  away.  I  know  you  will  find  it  much  more 
comfortable  than  at  the  stuffy  over-crowded  hotel."  It  is 
unnecessary  to  say  that  her  first  night  was  spent  under  the 
only  friendly  roof  that  had  sheltered  her  for  many  moons.  She 
was  received  with  the  utmost  welcome  and  given  tender  care 
by  the  mistress  of  the  cozy  western  home.  A  sumptous 
supper  was  all  ready  in  waiting  except  a  couple  of  extra 
plates.  Sumpuous — for  that  region  of  drouths  and  hopper 
invasions  where  little  sustain  life  was  raised  except  big 
onions  and  jack  rabbits.  Nothing  would  do  but  the  strange 
woman  should  remain  until  she  fully  recovered  from  her 
tiresome  ride.  And  thus  for  several  weeks  she  insisted  on 
doing  a  share  of  the  house  chores.  Little  Veva  was  now 
but  seven  years  of  age,  yet  so  mother-trained  in  womanly 
deportment  she  might  have  been  taken  for  a  child  of  at 
least  ten,  if  not  a  couple  of  years  older.  Her  new"  bene- 
factors had  recently  lost  their  only  child,  a  daughter  about 
Veva's  age.  To  say  that  she  at  once  became  a  pet,  a  near 
substitute  for  their  lost  Vivian  in  the  affections  and  fond 
heart-place  of  both  benefactors.  *'I  don't  know  how  I 
could  ever  have  forgotten  the  name  of  one  who  was  SQ 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


kind,  but  some  how  I  have  never  been  able  to  recall  it.  1 
know  it  began  with  a  "C",  said  the  young  woman  as  she. 
related  her  story  on  the  train,  "that  he  was  deeply  pitted 
with  pock  marks.  Homely?  Perhaps,  the  outer  contours 
of  the  face;  but  through  that  shone  the  sunlight  of  such 
pure  nobleness  of  character  which  could  only  radiate  from  a 
kind  and  generous  heart,  that  japaned  the  unfortunate 
scars  of  fate."  In  this  connection,  the  description  tallies 
well  with  C.  G.  Coutant  who  in  the  earliest  days  of  Garden 
City  ran  one  of  the  town  newspapers  and  promoted  her 
street  railway  system,  subsequently  moving  to  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  where  he  became  State  librarian.  If  still  alive, 
and  he  gets  sight  of  this  Historia,  we  will  no  doubt  hear 
from  him. 

On  leaving  for  the  West  the  mother  reversed  her  name 
to  Trola  Ventro,  finally  dropping  all  but  the  Trola. 

Trola  recalled  vividly  among  the  photos  on  the  walls 
of  the  home  library  three  of  special  prominence.  One  was 
a  bust  photo  of  a  middle-aged  man  in  uniform,  underneath 
which  was  written  the  word  "Hunter"  from  which  she  as- 
sumed he  must  have  been  some  famous  hunter.  Another 
was  a  standing  figure  in  long  buffalo  skin  coat  and  cap  of 
same,  at  his  side,  the  stock  end  resting  on  the  ground,  was 
a  long  gun.  Another  figure  was  a  fine  looking  athletic  young 
man  in  a  long  Prince  Albert,  a  broad-brimmed  hat  with 
large  cord  end  tassel  band;  high-top  boots,  leather  belt  with 
cartridges  and  a  revolver  in  leather  sheath  at  his  side;  long 
raven  hair  and  imperial  moustache,  of  military  bearing. 
Je  him  was  a  richly  caparisoned  charges  with  rifle 
ung  across  the  saddle.  These  may  have  been  Gen.  Hunter 
Tvho  had  headquarters  at  Garden  City  in  the  early  days. 
The  others  may  have  been  Col.  Cody  and  Buffalo  Jones 
who  also  in  our  pioneer  days  had  his  headquarters  in  that 
section. 

Two  other  young  men  made  occasional  visits  at  the 
editor's  home — one  named  Short  and  the  other  known  only 
as  "Bat";  but  her  mother  cautiously  avoided  meeting  either 
of  them.  They  were  understood  to  be  scouts  of  some  sort 
and  she  feared  lest  they  might  be  emisaries  of  Carson.  Bat 
Masterson  was  awild  and  reckless  lad  who  had  found  a 
deputy  marshalship  with  headquarters  at  Garden  City  where 
he  added  nine  notches  to  his  gun  stock.  A  near  associate 
was  another  sprig  named  Luke  Short  who  also  held  a  de- 
tective commission  about  that  time.  Masterson  subse- 
quently went  to  New  York  where  Roosevelt  pinned  a  mar- 
shal's star  on  him  which  he  wore,  leaving  gun-play  laurels 
for  several  years,  and  where  he  died  October  24,  just  past. 
Short  hooked  up  with  Col.  Cody  in  the  wild  west  ranch 
business.  It  is  scarcely  probable  that  when  the  other  two 
young  robusts  met  at  the  editor's  home 

About  two  miles  out  in  the  hilly  breaks  resided  Fred- 
crick  Keller  known  there  as  "Cabin  Fritz,"  from  the  fact 
that  he  occupied  the  only  typical  frontier  cabin  still  stand- 
ing in  that  section.  Fritz's  father  was  a  curbstone  broker 
about  Wall  Street  who  went  down  with  the  crash  caused 
by  the  Stone  railroad  strike  of  1889,  culminating  in  what 
Republicans  called  the  "Cleveland  panic  of  1893."  Young 
Fritz  had  never  known  toil  but  was  allowed  to  spend  his 
days  at  college  where  football,  tennis  and  questionable 
sports  prevail;  where  to  spend  dad's  money  in  having  an  idle 
rolhcky  time  of  fast  life,  ma'je  up  the  mental  menu.  But 
the  crash  soon  sent  young  Fritz  out  into  a  merciless  world  to 
shift  as  best  he  could.  He  at  once  conquered  the  spirit  of 
pride  and  gathered  on  to  whatever  his  hands  found  to  do 
until  he  had  enough  to  take  him  where  Greeley  suggested. 
Landing  in  Garden  City  when  the  country  was  new  he  se- 
cured a  claim  in  these  hilly  breaks  of  the  Arkansas,  so 
rocky  and  cut  with  ravines  that  it  went  a  begging  until  he 
discovered  it.  Along  the  ravines  were  occasional  margins 
of  shaperel  and  other  small  brush  while  on  the  hillsides  and 
crests  were  occasional  muskeet  or  post  oak  which  gave  the 
premises  a  somewhat  rustic  and  romantic  aspect.  Trola 
1  heard  the  family  speak  of  Fritz  so  often  and  with  such 
generous  praise  that  unconsciously  she  began  to  search  her 
longings.  What  manner  of  man  he  must  be.  Intellectual, 
or  after  the  usual  novelist  painting  of  Western  young  ro- 


busts.    Was  he  coarse   and  vulgar,   or  gentle   and   refined? 
The  latter,  she  unconsciously  reasoned,  else  her  kindly  ben- 
efactors would  not  speak  of  him  in  such  unbroken  terms   . 
of  compliment.      In   the  course   of  a  few   weeks   Fritz   was 
invited  out  to  the  editor's  home  for  dinner,  where  two  pair 
of  eyes  for  the  first  time  met,  and  there  was  a  mutual  ex- 
change of  portentious  glances.     After  this,  Fritz  was  not  an 
unfrequent  caller  at  the  editor's  home,  until — one  day  Fritz 
put  in  an  appearance,  this  time  in  a  buckboard  drawn  by 
a  pretty  sleek  pony.     He  was  met  as  usual  at  the  roadside 
where  a  season  of  conversation  ensued.    On  returning  into 
the   house   the    madam    was    told    something — to   the    effect 
that  Friz  was  on  the  eve  of  taking  a  trip  back  to  his  old 
home,  that  he  would  like  much  tohave  someone  take  care  of 
his  cabin   during  his   absence,   with   a   diffident  insinuation 
that  he  would  prefer  a  young  woman.     The  idea  at  once 
struck  the  madam  of  the  home  as  promising,  not  that  she 
wanted  to  get  rid  of  her  agreeable  visitor,  especially  little 
Veva.     When  the  husband  came  home  at  noon  the  matter 
was  again  brought  up,   and  he  heartily  joined  his  wife  in 
favor  of  the  idea.     The  young  visitor  seemed  in  doubt  as 
to  the  propriety  of  her  taking  such  a  venture,  and  yet  she 
had  learned  to  believe,  at  least,  that  Fritz  was  more  than 
a  common  young  man,   and  that  he  could  be  trusted,  aye, 
with  her  life  if  it  should  come  to  that.     She  was  also  as- 
sured by  her  benefactors  that  they  had  known  Fritz  from 
the  moment  he  struck  the  West;  that  he  was  all  through  a 
man,   gentleman  born  and  that   quality   self-cultured;   that 
though  diffident  and  never  known  to  so  much   as  speak  to 
any  young  woman  of  that  section-  although  there  was  not 
a  few  who  would  have  staked  their'very  soul  on  him.     She 
was    assured   that    she    need    have    no   hesitancy;    that    she 
would  be  as  safe  under  his  thatched  roof  as  if  he  were  her 
own  son.    Son?    Brother  sounded  better.    As  a  consequence, 
Fritz  was  again  in  front  of  the  editor's  home  next  evening 
near  the  set  of  sun,  ready  to  take  Trola  and  Veva  to  his 
cabin.     She,  however,  flatly  declined  to  go  for  the  first  time 
at  night.      She  would  prefer  to  land  by  day  so  that   she 
would  have  time  to  size  up  the   situation  which   she  could 
abandon  by  the  light  should  things  not  look  as  they  should. 
Fritz  when  next  morning  was  suggested,  quite  agreed  that 
she  was  right  and  would  have  apologized  had  he  known  how. 
Next  morning  bright  and  early  found  Mrs.  Trola  installed  as 
mistress  of  the  "Cabin  Fritz."     There  being  but  one  room 
with  only  a  corner  curtained  off  for  a  larder  and  a  sheet 
partition   cutting   off   a  bed   section,   Fritz   surrendered   the 
cabin  to  his  new  housekeeper  and  Veva,  while  he  slept  under 
an   improvised   brush-covered   shed   near   by.      As   it   never 
or  seldom  rained  in  that  section,  a  roof  was  only  needed 
as  a  shelter  from  the  scorching  noon  rays,  hence  all  out- 
doors with  the  starry  lamps  of  heaven  shining  down  was  an 
open  lounge.     Veva  soon  became   a  very   pet   with    Fritz. 
Scarcely  a  day  passed  that  she  did  not  accompany  him  ,'to 
the  field  or  on  the  rabbit  hunt.     She  soon  learned  to  ride 
the  pony  which  grew  fond  of  her;  learned  to  milk,  and  feed 
the  chicks,  in  fact  soon  grew  into  ?.  very  prairie  flower,  full 
of  that  roving,  romping  spirit  which  she  had  evidently  in- 
herited.    She  would  wander  through  the  ravines  and  gather 
blossoms  and  mix  them  in  a  wreath  with  wild  flowers  for 
"Daddy  Fritz"  as  she  called  him.     On  one  trip  to  the  city 
Fritz  bought  Veva  a  tambourine  which  to  his  surprise  the 
mother  could  handle  in  the  gypsy  fashion  with  exceedingly 
nimble   whirls   interspersed   with   sweet  song  in   a   soft   and 
captivating  voice.     But  between  the  mother  and  Fritz,  who 
had  abandoned  his  trip  back  home  idea,  -not  an  over-familiar 
passage  ever  occurred,  no  word  of  that  which  was  secretly 
burning  within  each  breast,  until — one  evening  the  two  were 
seated  at  the  table  opposite  each  other.    For  a  few  moments 
there  was  a  reign  of  solemn  silence,  soon  broken,  however, 
by   Fritz,    who    drew   his    chair   rather    familiarly   near,    at 
which  she  arose,  and  dissembling  any  pique  at  this  the  first 
and  for  reasons  the  least  touch  of  familiarity,  she  took  a 
seat  farther  away.     If  Fritz  realized  that  he  had  made   a 
breach,  he  failed  to  show  it;  but  leaning  over  the  table  re- 
marked that  "Of  your  past  I  know  nothing.     I  never  in- 
quired, nor  did  you  ever  broach  it — "     "Nor  is  the  past  a 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


matter  of  concern — now  nor  ever,  betwen  us,"  she  inter- 
rupted. "But  .1  must  say  something — "  he  again  ventured 
"1  know  that—"  shifting:  "I  never  knew  what  is  was  to 
be  a  young  woman  cast  on  the  world  alone.  But  I  do 
know  what  it  is  to  be  cast  alone  on  the  world  a  mere  stripling 
boy  reared  in  idleness  and  pampered,  petted  and  spoiled.*' 
A  suppressed  sigh  from  either  side  of  the  dividing  line 
closed  the  incident. 

One  day  Fritz  made  his  pony  ready  in  the  buckboard 
and  asked  his  new  housekeeper  if  she  would  not  like  to  go 
with  him  to  the  city,  where  he  wanted  to  do  some  trading. 
After  a  slight  hesitancy  she  decided  to  go;  hence  with  little 
Veva  they  left  for  town  only  a  couple  of  miles  away.  There 
they  took  lunch  at  a  restaurant,  in  the  midst  of  which 
a  tough  bronzed  seedy-looking  hobo  entered  and  leaning 
over  the  counter  asked  for  a  hand-out.  Just  at  this  moment 
he  happened  to  glance  toward  Fritz  and  his  companions. 
Meantime  she  had  already  caught  sight  of  the  tough-looking 
individual,  at  which  there  was  a  shrinking  back,  with  a 
frightened  stare  that  alarmed  Fritz  who  sought  to  console. 
The  amaze  was  soon  smothered  by  a  forced  smile  of  dis- 
sembling. The  hobo  again  leaned  over  the  counter  and  with 
a  mean  and  savage  side-glance  made  some  inquiry,  and  with 
a  sandwich  ambled  out,  to  the  visible  relief  of  Trola, 
hoping  that  he  had  not  recognized  her.  It  was — Don  Carson. 
The  home-going  was  all  but  a  serene  one — so  far  as  the 
woman  was  concerned,  as  she  kept  glancing  back  until  safely 
within  the  cabin;  and  even  here  there  might  have  been 
noticed  by  anyone  less  diffident  than  Fritz,  a  slightly  uneasy 
manner. 

It  was  that  hour  darkest  before  day  when  Trola  was 
awakened  by  what  sounded  like  soft  foot-pads.  On  arous- 
ing the  light  turned  down  was  suddenly  snuffed  out — not 
by  the  wind,  because  none  was  stirring.  Just  as  she  slipped 
from  bed  and  drew  the  curtain  a  dark  shadow  darted  from 
the  open  door.  With  mother  instinct  backed  by  her  own 
suspicions  she  immediately  rushed  back  to  the  bed.  The 
little  nest  was  still  warm,  but  Veva  had  disappeared. 

Hurrying  to  the  shed  young  Moro  was  nervously 
shaken  and  on  arousing  was  told  what  had  happened;  but 
not  given  the  suspicions  of  the  mother.  There  was  a 
frantic  two-and-fro  search  without  avail  in  the  hour  before 
day.  On  the  first  peep  of  light  Fritz  mounted  his  pony  and 
started  off  in  search,  the  mother  in  wild  yet  intuitive  darted 
for  the  city.  Here  she  learned  that  a  man  in  a  spring  wagon 
had  passed  through  there  only  a  few  minutes  previous;  that 
he  was  holding  a  small  child  in  front  of  him  that  he  had 
started  to  cross  the  Arkansas  which  at  tha  t  point  is  near  a 
half  mile  wide,  but  with  scarcely  any  water  except  when 
some  sudden  wall  would  come  rumbling  down  in  a  roll 
carrying  everything  before  it.  And  just  then  a  roaring 
sound  indicated  that  the  avalanche  was  sweeping  down  the 
river;  that  an  attempt  to  cross  meant  certain  death  in  the 
engulfing  flood  which  subsided  never  under  a  week  or  so. 

*  *  *  After  the  dark  ride  to  the  river  Vena's  first 
realization  was  when  she  found  herself  in  a  clump  of  brush 
on  the  river  bank  looking  up  into  the  face  of  a  young  man 
who  was  smoothing  back  her  hair  and  rubbing  her  hands  to 
bring  back  flown  life.  Gathering  her  up  he  carried  her 
some  distance  to  a  small  grove  in  which  was  a  spring  and 
a  band  of  roving  Gypsies  in  camp.  The  little  waif  was 
treated  with  tenderest  care,  and  soon  became  the  pet  of  the 
camp  and  measurably  reconciled.  Dolor  Galvini — this  was 
the  young  man  who  had  found  and  rescued  her  on  the  river 
bank,  became  her  constant  companion,  and  many  a  story  of 
their  little  remance  where  love's  first  dream  sets  in  might 
be  told.  The  Sequel  was  little  Veva  for  some  years  lead 
a  roving  Gypsy  life,  until  old  enough  to  dance  and  beat 
the  tambourine,  first  for  the  amusement  of  the  camp,  and 
then  for  the  amusement  of  visitors.  Added  to  this,  she 
would  sell  flowers,  often  wild  ones  of  the  prairie  or  blos- 
soms from  the  river  margin  copse,  and  which,  -owing  to 
the  bewitching  beauty  of  the  little  waif  now  grown  almost 
to  young  womanhood  would  be  readily  purchased,  and  often 
a  lavish  hand  would  contribute.  She  was  allowed  to  retain 
a  goodly  portion  of  all  her  earnings  until  she  had  accumu- 


lated quite  a  sum.  Meantime  Carson  had  assumed  the  rolo 
of  Gyp,  and  one  day  put  in  an  appearance  at  the  camp 
where  Veva  was.  He  at  once  recognized  her,  and  laid  claim 
to  her  as  his  own  daughter  treating  her  with  brutal  harsh- 
ness except  when  others  were  in  evidence,  and  then  he 
would  make  all  Tiinds  of  affectionate  pretenses.  All  the 
others  of  the  camp,  however,  treated  the  little  waif  with 
that  consideration  which  amounted  to  fondness;  especially 
did  young  Dolor,  who  was  at  her  side  at  all  times  except 
when  Carson  was  about,  at  which  time  he  had  to  keep  safe 
distance.  Visitors  were  frequent  and  at  times  quite  numer- 
ous at  the  camp,  little  Veva  always  the  central  figure  with 
her  dancing  to  the  tambourine  and  little  song  sketches  in 
Gypsy  lines,  the  "Gypsy's  Warning,"  manner  then  and 
musical  feats  having  acquired  a  sweet  and  melodious  voice, 
tinged  with  just  enough  sadness  to  make  it  all  the  more 
captivating.  One  evening  Carson  was  missing  from  the 
camp,  by  no  means  discomforting  to  other  members  who  had 
little  use  for  him  and  his  brutal  spirit,  enduring  him  only 
because  he  claimed  to  be  the  father  of  their  precious  little 
idol  of  the  tambournine  and  conservatory.  While  to  little 
Veva  and  Dolor,  it  spelt  more  than  pleasure,  a  relief,  a  joy, 
and  each  hoped  the  worst  might  befall  him.  It  was  sub- 
sequently learned  that  Carson  had  been  involved  in  a 
dissolute  brawl  and  been  lodged  in  the  jail  at  Pueblo. 
Feeling  that  as  soon  as  Carter  got  out  he  would  be  with  the 
camp  again,  arrangements  were  made  for  Dolor  to  conduct 
Veva  to  Pueblo  near-by  and  secure  a  safe  place  for  her,  at 
least  temporarily.  Here  she  was  taken  to  a  small  tenement 
in  the  lowlands  on  the  river  front  where  she  was  taken  in 
and  kindly,  treated  by  the  lone  occupant,  a  comely  .woman 
of  perhaps  fifty  years.  There  was  a  fond  attachment  at 
once,  a  motherly  affection  on  the  one  hand  and  a  child's 
love  for  a  mother  on  the  other.  This  woman  once  had  a 
child  so  like  the  little  stranger  and  the  little  waif  had  recol- 
lections of  a  mother  so  like  this  kindly  woman.  Meantime 
Carson  was  not  idle,  but  made  unceasing  search,  winding 
up  at  the  little  tenement  on  the  river  front.  Here  the 
sight  of  that  brutal  face  brought  horror  to  the  astonished 
woman.  From  Veva's  description  she  at  once  recognized 
that  it  was  Don  Carson  who  claimed  to  be  her  father.  With 
a  swadling,  stalky  stride  and  prize-ring  grimace  he  ap- 
proached the  fear-stricken  woman  and  seizing  her  savagely 
by  the  wrists  demanded  the  whereabouts  of  Veva,  who  on 
discovering  the  brutal  presence,  sought  a  hiding  place  under 
a  nearby  clump  of  bushes  which  hung  over  the  river  bank. 
All  manner  of  torture  was  threatened  if  the  whereabouts 
of  Veva  wasn't  at  once  told.  The  consequence  can  only  be 
suggested  had  not  young  Dolor  just  at  this  moment  ap- 
peared on  the  scene,  having  quietly  kept  watch  over  the 
little  domicile.  Nearby  was  another  small  tenement  in  which 
resided  another  lone  occupant,  a  comely  woman  also  per- 
haps 50  years  of  age.  During  the  time  Veva  was  there  she 
had  learned  sufficient  of  the  waif's  story  to  (know  that  her 
near  neighbor  was  the  mother,  but  this  she  kept  dark  until 
carson  had  disappeared  after  a  severe  pummeling  by  young 
Dolor.  Veva  was  restored  to  her  mother. 

Repeatedly  after  this  Veva  was  knidnapped  by  Carson 
and  taken  first  to  one  mountain  camp  and  another — he  not 
daring  to  ever  show  up  again  among  the  Gypsies  who  fairly 
mourned  the  loss  of  their  litle  fairy  waif.  But  each  time 
with  the  aid  of  young  Dolor  she  had  escaped. 

Veva  and  her  mother  were  alone  in  the  small  box 
tenement  when  the  recent  Pueblo  flood  reached  that  city. 
Higher  and  higher  rose  the  waters  until  the  shack 
was  some  feet  under  water.  Higher  and  higher.  They 
sought  the  roof  when  the  night  was  dark.  Soon  down  went 
the  shack  borne  upon  the  angry  current  the  twain  perched 
on  the  roof  comb,  now  veering  on  one  side  then  on  the 
other,  caught  in  an  eddy  sent  in  a  dizzy  whirl,  at  last  striking 
against  a  summerged  tree  the  shack  parted.  The  mother 
fell  into  the  mad  jaws  of  the  howling  pool  while  Vera 
clutched  a  limb  just  as  the  divided  house  was  carried  down 
stream  with  a  mad  rush.  She  clung  with  death  grip  to  the 
slender  limb  which  swayed  in  the  stiff  breeze  and  the  driv- 


MISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


ing   storm    until    every   moment   the    slender   twigs    dipped 
lower  until  they  fairly  swept  the  boisterous  torrent  below. 
She  decided  that  she  could  but  go  down  to  death  in  the 
stream  of  her  own  will  or  soon  be  hurled  to  it  by  the  sur- 
rendering limbs.     She  therefore  decided  to  make  the  plunge 
striking  a  rift  of  rubbish  that  had  collected  near  the  shore. 
Here  she  found  a  floating  railroad  tie  to  which  she  clung 
with  death-grip  in  an  effort  to  pilot  it  around  the  drift  and 
thus  reach  safety  ground.     About  this  time   another  tree- 
lodger  came  to  the  same  determination;  but  just  as  he  was 
in  the  act  of  diving  down  to — he  didn't  know  where,  the 
little  raft  with  its  lone  occupant,  now  breasting  the  tie,  now 
clinging  desperately  to  it  with  two  white  hands  as  her  hair 
floated  out  on  the  crested  foam.     Intuitively  he  made  for 
the  raft.     No  matter  who — it  was  some  human  soul  in  dis- 
tress.     Reaching   the    raft   he    successfully    steered   it   to    a 
lower  rift  where  were  other  railroad  ties  butting  in,   as  it 
were,  and  fortunately  a  bit  of  rope  was  also  lodged.     With 
this  he  managed  to  lash  a  couple  of  ties  together,  and  soon 
he  and  his  charge  were  safe  on  shore  land.  This  new  savior 
proved  to  be  none  other  than  Young  Dolor,  come  as  if  sent 
by  Providence.     It  is  needless  to  repeat  all  Veva  said  as  to 
the  ecstacy  of  the  timely  though  unexpected  reunion.     The 
joy  was  heightened  when,  as  Veva  said,  Dolor  told  her  of 
that    while    on    his    night    vigil    over    the    Trola    home    the 
flood  came,  logs  and  all  manner  of  rubbish  and  small  tene- 
ments  began   a  migration   down   the   rapid   stream.      Very 
soon  after  he  noticed  an  evidently  young  man  carrying  some 
woman  from  the  waters  to  high  ground,  but  just  then  the 
great  rumbling  main  column  drove  down  like  an  avalanche 
sweeping  him  into  the  top  branches  of  a  tree  from  which 
he  made  the  plunge  referred  to  ;and  besides,  it  being  rather 
dark,  he  caught  but  a  mere  glimpse  of  the  rescuing  scene. 
But  somehow  he  associated  the  woman  with  Veva's  mother. 
Assisting  little  Viva  from  the  car,  the  Traveler  invol- 
untarily takes  one  of  her  hands  in  his,  with  his  other  resting 
gently  on  her  shoulder  and  which  gradually  finds  its  way 
about  her  waist  as  he  gazes  off  in  seeming  blank  abstraction. 
He  looks  down  into  her  large  brown  eyee  gazing  so  fondly 
pathetic  into  his  then  inadvertantly  a  movement  off,  biting 
his   lips   as   if   suppressing   some    intruding   fit    of   emotion. 
Then  Again  down  into  that  upturned  face  as  two  white  arms 
reach    almost    emploringly    up,    and    in    sweet    whispering, 
"Would  it  be  wrong  for  Veva?"     Here  she  indicates  that 
she  would  like  the  return  of  the  bit  of  paper  she  handed  him 
while  in  the   car   and  in   which   he  had  secretly  slipped   a 
small  amount  of  currency.     As  the  time  for  parting  comes, 
the  Traveler  finds  one  hand  gently  grasping  Veva's  velvet 
left  while  his  right  rests  gently  about  her  shoulder.     "You 
will  write  Veva?     No!  No — she  does  not  know  where  she 
go,   unless — "      And   unleasing  from   him   she   gives   a   wild 
stare  of  determined  desperation  clutching  the  silver  hilt  in 
her  bosom.    Then  the  Traveler  ta'ies  her  .again  by  one  hand 
and  again  circles  her  waist  with  one  arm.     "Maybe  Veva 
write  you  sometime — where?"     With  this  she  is  handed  a 
card  containing  the  Traveler's  address  on  one  fold  and  his 
portrait  on  another.     Veva  looks  first  at  the  address,  then 
at  the  portrait.     She  places  the  card  in  her  bosom  with: 
"Veva    keep    it   always."      With    a    delicate    tremor    in    her 
voice,  and  on  each  cheek  a  tiny  pearl  glistening  like  some 
roral  globe  on  the  dew-dipped  praise  of  morning.     There 
was  too  much  earnest  for  "good-bye"  as  Veva  darted  behind 
the  rear  end  of  the  depot  and  was  instantly  lost  to  sight. 

And    now,    time    and    space    admonishes    abandoning 
Mr.  Drum  and  Mrs.  Gab   and  little  Viva  until —  *   *   *   * 

A  Glimpse   of   the   Pueblo   Flood 

Crossing  the  Arkansas  river  at  Pueblo  a  sight  was  met 
long  to  be  remembered.  Evidences  of  the  recent  flood 
were  on  every  hand — wrecked  bridges,  homes  in  a  mass  of 
wreckage,  some  showing  the  ravages  of  the  flood  though 
intact,  lodged  here  and  there,  high  on  the  sandy  shore, 
hemmed  in  by  driftwood  and  very  islands  of  debris;  the 
movies  did  not  overdo;  no  language  can  fully  express  the 
waste  and  desolation,  involving  practically  every  section 


of   the   city,   including   the   main   business   section.      To   re- 
build must  be  indeed  a  discouraging  contemplation. 

Side-Trip  to  the  Mountain  City 

At  Denver  visits  were  made  to  various  points  of  in- 
terest including  the  Historical  Society  which  is  homed  in 
a  new  building  on  the  capitol  grounds.  Here  every  courtesy 
was  shown  by  those  in  immediate  charge.  The  Society 
has  made  quite  a  creditable  collection  consisting  for  the 
most  part  in  library  material.  A  full  day  was  enjoyed 
seeing  the  choice  institutions  of  the  old  mountain  city,  in- 
cluding the  chamber  of  commerce — the  city  museum  and 
public  library. 

Returning  to  Pueblo  a  night  ride  ended  near  Colton, 
with  the  last  but  little  scenic  grandeur.  At  Colton  was 
witnessed  the  only  rain  seen  after  leaving  Oklohama  until 
the  return.  Evidently  the  Coltonites  are  not  swans  nor 
any  other  aquatic  species,  for  when  the  rain  struck  the 
townpeople  went  flying  hither  and  thither  in  disorder  as 
if  they  had  just  heard  a  blast  from  Gabriel. 

In  the  Valley  of  the  Jourdan 

A  day  and  a  half  was  spent  at  Salta  Lake,  visiting  fjfld 
landmarks,  including  the  old  tabernacle,  the  plan  of  which 
was  conceived  by  Brigham  Young  while  lying  on  his  back 
on  Mount  Wasache,  a  whole  night.  This  piece  of  archi- 
tecture is  unlike  any  other  ever  designed  by  man  and  in 
many  ways  evidences  that  spirit  of  inspiration  claimed  for 
it,  the  Temple,  etc.  We  visited  Salt  Lake  in  1888  when 
the  Gentiles  were  near  holding  an  election  in  which  they 
hoped  to  best  the  Mormons,  drive  them  out  and  rob  them 
of  their  possessions.  Strangers  were  hopping  off  every 
train,  and  flat  cars  were  in  evidence  loaded  with  impor- 
tations from  Colorado  and  California  and  other  distant 
points  for  the  voting  day. 

The  President  had  recently  appointed  a  new  ter- 
ritorial governor  named  Williams,  a  scrawny  encephalic 
specimen  with  a  corset  and  blac'i  silky  wax-tippcc!| 
moustache.  When  handed  our  card:  "Eh-heh !  And  so 
you  are—"  as  he  scanned  with  supercillious  air — "from 
Kansas.  That  is  the  home  of  a  fellow  named — named — 
I  can't  just  recall,  a  United  States  senator  or  something  of 
that  kind,  I  believe."  As  was  known,  Mr.  Plumb  had  but 
recently  visited  Utah,  he  informed  the  wax-tipped  moustache 
who  it  was.  "Awe-ah,  I  believe  that  was  the  name.  I  am 
indeed  surprised  that  a  people  enlightened  would  choose  as 
their  senator  in  congress  such  a  man.  Why,  sir,  he  is  so 
narrow,  so  narrow, — understand?  Why,  when  we  pointed 
out  Mount  Wasache  this  fellow  would  say:  "You  ought  to 
see  our  Smoky  Hills';  and  when  we  pointed  out  the  Jourdan, 
he  would  say:  'You  ought  to  see  our  Solomon  and  Kaw 
rivers!'  So  narrow!"  Our  party  was  assured  and  im- 
portuned to  stay  until  after  the  election  to  aid  in  getting 
rid  of  the  Mormons.  That  they  would  be  forced  to  leave, 
"As  we  will  make  it  so  hellish  hot  for  them  that  they  will 
be  forced  to  sell  their  homes  for  whatever  they  can  get,  and 
that  will  only  be  what  we  choose  to  pay  them;  and  your  party 
will  have  an  opportunity  on  the  deal."  But  the  old  proverb 
about  the  schemes  o'mice  and  men  got  another  verification; 
for,  at  the  election  the  Mormon  vote  was  14,461,  while  the 
scheming  gentiles  only  cast  6,146  votes;  of  members  of  the 
upper  house  the  Mormons  secured  twelve,  the  schemers 
only  two.  In  the  lower  house  the  mormons  secured  18  out 
of  24. 

On  making  up  the  program  for  the  itinery,  Mormons 
were  ignored  and  only  Gentiles  corresponded  with.  But 
on  arriving  at  the  Salt  Lake  depot  no  committee  was 
•  there.  Bleered-eyed  bus-thugs  were  numerous,  however,  de- 
manding fifty  cents  a  head  for  a  two  block  walk  Advance 
arrangements  had  been  made  with  the  Walter  House  for 
our  party,  without  mentioning  the  price.  To  that  hostelry 
our  party  wended  on  foot,  except  a  few  who  got  gulled. 
On  registering  it  was  found  that  only  a  few  of  the  party 
could  get  comfortable  beds,  but  must  double  up,  tribble  up, 
and  others  bunk  on  cots  or  pallets.  Thus  supper  and  the 
night.  After  breakfast  came  the  price.  The  Walker  had 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


sprung  fare  more  than  double,  charging  every  mother's  son, 
daughter  and  off-cast  the  limit  regardless  of  whether 
doubled,  trebbled,  cotted  or  palleted.  No  arrangements 
whatever  had  been  made  to  carry  the  party  to  the  fort  or 
to  Garfield  Beech,  then  the  only  resort  in  that  section. 
Bleer-eyed  bus-thugs  were  abundant,  swaggering,  vulgar 
and  profane,  demanding  five  dollars  a  head  to  Fort  Collins, 
with  only  five  minutes'  stop.  The  price  to  Garfield  'Beech 
was  not  asked.  We  at  once  sought  out  Mr.  Penrose  who 
then  ran  the  Deseret  News  of  which  he  is  still  in  control.  He 
was  also  church  leader.  It  was  with  a  degree  of  mortifica- 
tion to  be  compelled  to  draw  upon  a  people  who  had  until 
now  been  ignored.  But  Mr.  Penrose  was  so  kind  and  gen- 
erous— just  as  though  his  people  alone  had  been  consulted. 
We  were  assured  from  then  on  our  party  would  be  well  pro- 
vided; that  not  one  cent  would  be  taken;  that  he  regretted 
he  did  not  know  of  our  coming  or  he  would  have  had  a  full 
program  arranged.  John  W.  Young,  son  of  the  late  Brig- 
ham  Young,  was  summoned.  He  was  president  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  including  the  spur  to  Garfield  Beech,  about  six  miles 
out,  across  a  neck  of  Jourdan  where  the  lake  circles  the 
mountain  ranges,  at  the  foot  of  which,  near  the  beech,  is  a 
mystic  cave  sufficiently  high  for  a  man  to  walk  through  it 
erect.  It  is  a  mile  or  so  long,  weird,  damp  place  with 
stactilites  gleaming  in  the  faint  light  that  drifts  in  for  a 
ways.  Mr.  Young  generously  placed  at  our  disposal  an 
engine,  a  couple  of  observation  cars  and  a  full  crew,  to 
come  and  go  out  to  the  beech,  and  that  without  a  price. 
Conveyances  were  likewise  furnished  to  the  fort,  with  un- 
limited time  for  observation.  The  tabernacle  was  thrown 
open  for  Sabbath  and  Mr.  Young  preached  an  intellectual 
and  entertaining  sermon.  A  Miss  Silver  was  principal 
linger,  and  she  rendered  not  only  the  regular  service  songs, 
but  a  number  of  others  in  sweet-voiced  soprano,  in  a  voice 
not  loud  nor  screetchy,  yet  of  wonderful  volume,  every  note, 
every  word  distinctly  heard  from  the  fartherest  end  of  the 
building  two  hundred  feet  away.  The  acoustic  build  of  the 
tabernacle  is  such  that  you  can  hear  a  pin  when  dropped  in 
a  hat  on  the  platform  two  hundred  feet  back;  and  a  test 
proved  the  claim.  The  great  building  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  several  thousand  was  so  arranged  that  the  entire  congre- 
gation when  filled  to  the  limit  can  exit  in  less  than  three 
minutes.  The  Temple  had  been  enclosed,  but  not  yet  ready 
for  occupancy.  While  visitors  were  barred  from  the  struct- 
ure a  special  exception  admitted  our  party  and  an  escort 
went  into  detail  as  to  its  inception  and  progress  of  con- 
struction. The  inscriptions  on  the  high  ceiling  from  the 
Smith  tablets  of  stone  were  deciphered.  The  grave  of 
Brigham  Young  who  was  at  his  own  request  buried  in  a 
sitting  posture,  was  visited  as  were  also  his  several  homes. 
One  Mormon  family  was  visited  which  was  particularly  in- 
teresting. It  consisted  of  the  husband,  three  wives  and  a 
number  of  children  from  infancy  to  lawful  age.  One  wife 
had  charge  of  the  domestic  work — kitchen,  laundry,  etc. 
Another  had  charge  of  the  nursery  and  the  inside  bath,  a 
large  square  pool  in  a  roofed  court  bordered  with  home 
rooms.  A  third  wife  had  charge  of  the  hot  sulphur  springs 
some  distance  from  the  house  at  the  foot  of  a  projecting 
mountain  spur.  At  this  spring  one  of  our  party  found  a 
He  was  a  scholastically  educated  young  man  in  company 
with  his  young  wife,  and  was  explaining  in  a  very  learned 
Waterloo — Mr.  E.  A.  Weller  of  the  Wamego  Agriculturist, 
way  how  the  water  came  to  be  hot.  "You  be  one  of  them 
smart  chaps  what  things  you  know  it  all,"  said  the  guardian 
of  the  springs  as  she  straightened,  placed  her  hands  on  her 
hips  and  looked  Weller  in  the  face.  "But  you  don't  know 
nothing.  It's  I  can  tell  how  it  come  to  be  hot.  The  old 
devil  is  down  there  with  a  big  poker  a  stirring  and  a  stirring 
the  water  and  the  burning  coals  in  hellfire.  That's  what 
make  the  water  hot,  young  man,"  she  continued,  "You 
ought  to  get  you  a  holy  Bible  and  read  it.  Then  you  might 
learn  something." 

The  mantumaker  and  general  domestic  wife  asked  if 
the  wives  got  along  in  harmony  together.  "O  yes,"  she 
replied  smilingly.  "We  all  eat  around  a  common  hearth 
from  the  same  table  without  a  jar  or  cross-purpose — a 


happy  family."  When  asked  if  the  wives  ever  got  jealous: 
"Have  you  any  brothers  and  sisters?"  she  inquired.  "Well 
don't  you  sometimes  get  a  trifle  jealous — imagine  your  par- 
ents are  a  little  partial?  Well,  that's  all  there  is  to  it." 

The  old  Walker  House  has  ben  torn  away  for  a  com- 
mercial mart,  and  most  of  the  old  landmarks  of  that  day 
where  the  Mormon  families  dwelt  in  the  felicity  of  undying 
faith  have  succombed  to  the  demands  of  progress,  and  now 
have  given  way  to  great  brick  buildings,  the  humble  houses 
where  they  stood  may  be  seen  palatial  mansions.  The  small 
Mormon  village  is  now  a  metropolitan  city  with  skyscrapers 
and  street  cars.  Garfield  Beech  has  been  abandoned  and 
Saltaire  is  the  fashionable  lake-side  resort  a  few  miles  up 
from  the 

While  in  Salt  Lake  a  visit  was  made  to  the  Mormon 
headquarters  where  Mr.  Jensen  presides  as  church  historian, 
and  also  as  general  manager  of  the  State  Historical  Society, 
housed  in  a  new  building  of  its  own  on  the  capitol  grounds, 
with  Mr.  Jenson  who  recently  visited  the  Oklahoma  His- 
torical Sociey  in  charge  of  the  church  records  and  has 
issued  a  bound  volume  roster  and  church  record  or  diary. 
Historia  has  been  promised  one  of  these  volumes  but  so  far 
it  has  failed  to  show  up.  The  write  was  much  interested  in 
running  through  this  record  where  he  found  a  few  familiar 
names,  among  them  the  name  of  Elisha  and  Bettie  Camp- 
bell in  connection  of  some  infraction  of  church  rules.  As 
his  father  was  named  Elisha  and  one  of  his  sisters  was 
named  Rebecca,  or  familiarly  called  Bettie,  these  names 
set  him  wondering  whether  or  not  they  may  be  of  his 
household.  A  number  of  the  Salt  Lake  family  are  still 
living,  but  we  were  net  fortunate  enough  to  meet  any  of 
them. 

Among  other  places  visited  was  at  the  chamber  of  com- 
merce. Also  made  extensive  trolly  trips  to  the  various 
points  of  interest. 

Two  days  were  consumed  in  the  old  historic  city  where 
was  only  an  unknown  desert  waste  until  three-quarters  of  a 
century  ago.  The  river  Jourdan  but  a  conjectual  lake. 
Between  that  and  civilization  lay  the  rocky  range  with  its 
peaks  and  mountain  heights  over  which  no  human  foot  had 
ever  trod,  until,  persecuted  and  driven  first  from  their  Illi- 
nois home  about  Narvoo  where  their  prophet  Joe  Smith 
was  butchered  by  "Christian"  bands;  hence  from  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri,  where  they  had  built  their  pioneer 
homes  and  erected  seats  of  worship  and  schools.  Here  they 
harnessed  wheelbarrows,  a  few  ox  teams,  a  few  pack  horses 
and  wended  their  way  across  the  then  trackless  and  parched 
plains,  up  the  mountain  slopes  through  habitless  regions  of 
torture,  fatigue  and  deaths.  No  wonder  that  when  after 
the  long  and  arduous  trudge  their  eyes  rested  on  the  crystal 
water  of  the  lake  with  marvin  vales,  these  persecuted,  foot- 
sore and  weary  people  of  their  own  faith  exclaimed:  "Allah. 
All  hail.  Yonder  lies  Jourdan.  There  shall  we  rebuild  our 
temple  and  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  our 
own  conscience.  There  will  we  build  our  homes  and  gather 
the  sheaves  of  God's  gift  and  make  the  goodly  land  blossom 
as  the  rose,  with  no  fear  of  persecution  by  our  jealous 
enemies,  nor  of  ever  again  being  driven  from  our  homes  by 
the  invading  despoiler." 

Reaches  Ocean  of  Sand 

After  leaving  Ogden  you  pass  through  a  long  and  wide 
stretch  of  utter  waste  and  desolation — a  limitless  plain  of 
white  sand  reaching  to  either  side  until  there  gleam  and 
glisten  is  lost  in  the  shadow  of  bleak  and  barren  ranges;  the 
monotony  being  only  doubtfully  relieved  when  now  and 
then  the  zephyrs  sweep  by  to  waltz  with  the  rising  forms  in 
ghostly  white".  Here  you  see  no  sign  of  ve  getable  life. 
Should  some  venturesome  sprig  of  green  ever  find  a  lodg- 
ment here  through  the  caprice  of  chance,  it  would  soon  be 
buried  from  sight  by  the  veering  drifts.  Though  much 
of  the  ride  through  this  unsightly  dearth  is  by  night,  the 
scene  still  in  evidence  with  its  faint  gleaming  in  the  glow 
of  night  stars.  Even  the  prairie  dog  and  companion  owl 
with  cactus  for  a  perch  shun  this  vast  stretch  of  useless 
desert.  Though  the  iron  trail  through  this  stretch  of  desert 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


water  of  the  lake  with  margin  vales,  these  persecuted,  foot- 
of  lone  silent  and  solemn  level  lying  glint  beneath  the 
swinging  moon  and  her  troop  of  night  stars. 

In    the    Golden    West 

At  Oakland  a  couple  of  days  were  most  agreeably 
spent  as  the  guest  of  Judge  Jesse  Dunn,  that  prince  all,  who 
did  the  phenomenal  by  resigning  a  life-job  on  the  supreme 
bench  of  Oklahoma  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  people  of  the 
Pacific;  his  "act"  scarcely  equalled  when  the  brother  of 
our  "Cue'ile-Burr  Bill"  declined  to  run  for  state  labor  com- 
missioner because  "Brother  Bill"  was  holding  a  state  place. 
The  levee  consisted  first  of  a  banquet  at  the  Elk's  hall,  where 
many  leading  members  of  the  fraternity  of  horned  prongs 
were  met.  A  spin  over  the  "skyline"  by  way  of  Berkley 
and  the  Greek  theatre  presented  the  university  by  Wm.  H. 
Hurst,  the  millionaire  newspaper  man. 

Judge  Dunn  has  a  beautiful  and  romantic  home  on  the 
highlands  overlooking  the  city  and  San  Francisco  Bay.  In 
front  of  his  home  we  stood  beside  the  judge  and  had  a 
kodak  photo  taken.  While  beside  the  popular  jurist  we 
felt  much  like  the  "Town  Pauper"  did  when  standing  for  a 
picture  beside  the  eminent  Southern  Senator.  It  was  grati- 
fying to  hear  Judge  Dunn  so  highly  spoken  of  in  his  new 
home  where  he  seems  to  have  at  once  enlisted  universal 
confidence  and  esteem.  Before  starting  for  the  Pacific,  son 
Wayne,  advised  preparing  heavier  wear  for  the  coast;  but 
we  didn't.  Wished  we  had,  though.  In  fact  had  to  invest, 
and  then  borrow  an  overcoat  from  Jesse,  and  then  shivered, 
and  this  was  the  middle  of  July.  But  the  Oaklanders  seem 
to  enjoy  it.  Crossing  the  bay  in  from  Oakland  a  couple 
of  days  were  consumed  in  trolly  rides,  viewing  points  of 
interest  in  that  wonderful  city.  Thence  to  the  objective 
point — Los  Angeles,  about  five  hundred  miles  southerly 
along  the  coast. 

Here  we  made  headquarters  at  the  Rutland,  South 
Main  and  Washington,  a  capacious  apartment  house  of  336 
rooms  with  every  feature  modern.  While  there  the  Trav- 
eler was  the  guest  of  Daughter  Isla  Rivers  Campbell,  and 
•ister-in-law,  Miss  Hattie  C.  Wayne,  and  of  Daughter  Coila 
Campbell  (Mrs.  Bert  F.)  Duncan,  at  their  beautiful  home  on 
•  five-acre  pingree  patch  near  Glendale  and  Eagle  Rock 
City,  suburban  to  Los  Angeles.  From  here  the  Traveler 
radiated  in  every  direction,  by  trolly  and  by  auto  motor — 
ten  to  fifty  miles. 

Catalina   Islands — Last  of  the  Mohigans 

The  first  point  of  extreme  interest  after  reaching  Los 
Angeles  was  a  spin  by  electric  line  to  the  Pacific  where  a 
narrow  channel  of  about  sixteen  miles  connects  the  main 
•hore  with  the  noted  Catalina  Islands.  Crossing  over  this 
channel  by  steamer  a  landing  was  made  at  Avalon,  the  only 
city  on  this  vast  island.  From  here  a  motor  stage  carries 
you  about  fifty  miles  "over  the  top"  winding  and  curving, 
up  and  down,  around  in  serpentine  insinuations  until  the 
isthmus  is  reached — a  small  harbor  with  only  an  improvised 
pavilion  which  serves  as  hotel,  lunch  stand,  etc.  The 
isthmus  is  surely  a  romantic  spot  of  rocky  grandeur  where 
expired  The  Last  of  the  Mohiggins.  On  the  way  across 
were  many  thrilling  and  weird  scenes,  some  of  them  of 
ancient  note,  such  as  the  old  Crows  Nest  still  standing 
among  the  lower  wilds  of  the  mountain  range  in  a  strange 
and  truly  rustic  place.  Here  at  one  time  bad  men  of  the 
world  made  headquarters,  brewed  beverages  and  banditry, 
carrying  on  a  game  without  limit,  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  dollars  being  a  frequent  sta'ie,  and  could  the  old  up-and- 
down  board  walls  but  talk,  many  a  tragedy  and  tale  of  dark 
deeds  and  daring  would  be  told.  With  rare  exceptions  the 
only  sign  of  moving  life  consists  of  mountain  goats  way  in 
the  distance  winding  their  way  up  almost  perpendicular 
steeps.  Some  of  these  with  whiskers  so  long  they  have  to 
walk  on  their  hind  legs  to  keep  from  stepping  on  them. 
From  the  Isthmus,  the  steamer  "Flyer"  takes  you  back  to 
Avalon,  a  distance  of  65  miles  on  the  still  ocean.  The  same 
ocean  trip  was  taken  from  Avalon  to  the  Isthmus  and  re- 
turn on  what  is  known  as  the  "flying  fish  trip,"  always  after 


night.  Attracted  probably  by  the  lights  in  the  boat,  flying 
fish  rise  up  in  every  direction  and  dash  toward  the  light, 
often  striking  the  boat  sides  with  a  jarring  force  which 
would  plow  holes,  had  nature  not  provided  these  denizens 
of  the  deep  with  spongy  noses  to  protect  them  from  being 
smashed  to  smithereens  during  their  flights.  Sometimes  one 
of  these  animated  meteors  go  over  the  boat  sides  when  woe 
to  anyone  who  should  happen  to  be  in  range.  One  went 
through  the  Flyer  the  night  we  were  on,  and  lodged  just 
behind  a  guard  post  within  less  than  two  feet  from  where 
we  sat.  A  young  woman  in  the  seat  behind  had  her  hat 
brushed  by  this  meteor,  and  my,  such  a  scream!  The  fish 
are  about  a  foot  long  and  are  provided  with  wing-shaped 
fins  which  they  are  able  to  spread  in  their  migrations.  They 
are  called  flying  fish,  but  in  fact  they  dart  like  meteors. 
Rising  from  the  water  at  a  distance  of  a  few  rods  to  a 
mile  or  more,  they  reach  destination  in  a  flash,  with  elec- 
tric message  speed.  They  are  almost  black,  but  at  night 
they  leave  a  bluish  phosphorescent  trail  like  the  tail  of  a 
shooting  star.  They  rise  up  from  every  direction  and  in 
miriads,  darting  at  every  angle  until  the  night  is  a  very 
pyrotecnic  display  of  flashing  beauty.  They  are  eatable. 
Avalon  is  a  pretty  place,  crotched  down  at  the  foot  of  the 
range.  A  fine  bathing  beech  and  a  few  home  mansions,  and 
long  rows  of  canvass  villas  to  accommodate  summer  resort- 
ers.  The  St.  Catherine  Hotel  is  the  only  elite  resort  of  the 
island,  snugged  on  a  jetty  into  the  seat,  and  hewn  out  of  the 
hills.  The  five-dollar  a  night  and  up-ers  are  its  mainstay. 
The  St.  Catherine  is  also  headquarters  for  leading  movie 
stars  when  on  the  island.  Eddie  Pola  was  quartered  here 
during  the  Traveler's  itinery.  At  Avalon  was  a  narrow 
escape  from  being  buried  in  the  movie  maelstrom.  A  craft 
was  lying  in  wait  to  make  a  movie  trip,  and  the  boat  man- 
ager insisted  on  the  Traveler  casting  himself  in  a  couple  of 
thrills  of  the  coming  reel.  Only  two  stunts  were  assigned 
him — one,  riding  a  bronco,  and  the  other  rescuing  a  fair 
maiden  from  a  burning  ship — both  rather  strenuous  for  a 
person  "one-eyed  and  seming  ancient."  The  broncho  stunt 
did  not  appear  so  hazardous,  for  although  the  Traveler  had 
not  straddled  one  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  reas- 
oned that  the  varment  could  only  buck  and  throw  him 
headlong  in  a  sprall  or  knot  over  its  head,  tramp  on  him 
and  kick  a  few  daylight  holes  through  him,  yet  leaving  him 
still  alive.  But  the  burning  ship — that  was  fraught  with 
heroic  risk,  to  stem  the  treacherous  waves  to  the  ship  con- 
veniently anchored  for  the  occasion,  climb  the  slimy  sides, 
dart  hither,  thither,  through  blinding  stifling  volumes  of 
hot  smoke,  dodge  falling  timbers  and  tread  the  embers, 
shoulder  the  swooned  maiden  and  bearing  her  through  walls 
of  blazing  fury  and  down  a  rope  by  one  hand  as  the  other 
bearing  the  limp  bescorched  maiden,  then  to  buffet  the  con- 
tending ocean  rolls  to  safety  on  the  beech  sands  where  a 
young  English  cockney  with  a  monicle  runs  wildly  up 
and  down  the  shore  emploring:  "Save  Bessy!  Fo  Gawd  sake, 
save  Bessy,"  and  when  asked  why  he  didn't  save  her: — "'Hi 
cawnt,  yer  know.  Hi  cawnt,  yer  know,"  and  then  after  the 
rescued  maiden  arouses  from  her  swoon  she  falls  into  the 
arms  of  the  monicled  cockny  and  showers  him  with  lactimel 
and  sweet  nectar.  That  was  the  straw  that  broiie  th<< 
Campbell's  back,  and  he  silently  stole  away. 
Side  Trips — Sight-Seeing 

There  were  numerous  happenings  while  in  Los  Angeles 
which  Historia  will  long  cherish  in  memory,  such  as  a 
number  of  auto  rides  to  various  interesting  points:  To 
Maywood  beech,  guest  of  Mr.  Kimmer  and  Roy  Mangum 
who  have  landed  interests  among  the  oil  fields  of  that 
region.  Messrs.  Meyering  &  Lawrence,  to  Santa  Monico 
highlands,  canyons  and  beech,  and  to  Brentwood  Place, 
where  the  company  have  land  holdings.  The  Laguna  Land 
and  Water  company,  to  Maywood  beech  in  the  midst  of  the 
oil  fields  operated  by  this  company.  J.  S.  Hargis  of  the 
Hightman  company,  to  Belmont  Shore  Place  where  the 
company  has  laid  out  an  addition  to  Los  Angeles.  The  Cole- 
man-Rosser  company  to  Harbor  City  where  the  company  has 
large  holdings  of  dredge  lands  hugging  the  harbor  shore. 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


9 


Emil  Firth,  to  various  sight-seeing  points.  Theophile  Stutz, 
to  the  harbor  where  his  people  have  large  holdings.  G.  E. 
and  Geo.  \V.  Mclntyre  through  their  vast  oil  domain. 

Acknowledgement  is  due  Captain  DeFord  for  a  de- 
lightful auto  trip  in  company  with  himself  and  wife,  and 
daughter  and  husband,  who  also  have  a  home  on  51st  street. 
Also  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  S.  T.  Hunt  for  an  instructive  as  well 
as  interesting  tour  to  the  Venice  beech,  passing  on  the  way 
the  soldiers  home  at  Sawtell  with  its  fairy  campus,  parks 
and  drives;  and  Culver  City,  the  home  of  the  movie.  Here 
we  were  the  guests  of  the  Goldwyn  plant  management  in 
charge  of  Mr.  Joe  Ashurst  Jackson,  publicity  manager,  and 
who  passes  out  senarios  and  casts.  We  -were  intro- 
duced to  the  general  superintendent  who  placed  us  in  charge 
of  Prof.  Lewis  W.  Physive,  who  piloted  us  through  the  entire 
plant  and  unfolded  by  demonstration  every  feature  of  the 
wonderful  movie  processes  from  laking  the  pictures,  their 
"bath"  and  development,  making  the  films,  assembling  them 
in  their  sequential  order,  drying,  and  winding  on  reels,  ready 
for  the  screen.  Mr.  Physive  is  an  Italian,  the  synonym  of 
courtesy  and  obliging,  and  knows  every  feature  of  the 
movie  process. 

The  Traveler  needs  make  no  formal  acknowledgement 
for  the  numerous  auto  rides  enjoyed  in  company  with  his 
daughters,  Isla  and  Coila,  and  sister  Hattie,  with  Mr.  Bert 
Duncan  as  chaperone — he  is  too  closely  related  to  demand 
acknowledgment  for  shared  pleasures.  One  of  these  var- 
ious trips  was  by  wray  of  Venice,  thence  along  the  cost  for 
many  miles,  thence  a  drive  into  the  gorgeous  mountain 
fastnesses,  past  caverns,  rumbling  waters,  in  a  spiral  jaunt 
to  the  mountain  range  via  Wildwood,  thence  a  descent  to 
the  great  valley  of  fruits  and  on  to  the  wonder  city,  about 
sixty  miles  in  all.  Mr.  Duncan  is  one  of  the  leading  con- 
tractors of  Southern  California,  and  his  bookings  take  in 
a  vast  scope  in  every  direction. 

Visiting  Alambra,  Mr.  Grimes  and  family  were  on  a 
toot  to  Balboa  beech,  hence  there  was  a  sore  disappoint- 
ment. Mr.  Blackwelder  was  also  out  of  the  city.  While 
there  Mr.  Stultze,  the  leading  real  estate  man,  treated  to 
an  auto  ride  of  the  city,  and  Editor  N.  R.  N.  Mariot 
of  the  Advance  and  the  News  extended  fraternal  courtesies. 
The  Los  Angeles  Evening  Herald,  Los  Angeles  Morning 
Times,  San  Diego  Sun,  El  Paso  Gazette,  and  the  Texola 
Herald  gave  generous  mention  of  visits  to  these  various 
might  lose  his  job,  and  it  WTood  benefit  no  one.  Now,  take 
cities. 

It  Pays  to   Pay   Your  Own  Way 

In  Los  Angeles  you  will  find  a  woman  in  almost  every 
hallway  of  the  business  section  who  will  thrust  a  ticket 
into  your  hands  calling  for  a  "free  ride  and  a  warm  dinner 
(sandwich  and  coffee)"  either  by  trolley  or  auto  to  every 
section  of  the  outlying  districts,  twenty  to  thirty  miles. 
These  are  furnished  by  the  Newport  company  and  other 
land  interests  who  have  realty  holdings  for  sale  in  "Los 
Angeles  Addition"  lots.  However  alluring,  take  the  advice 
of  Historia  and  don't.  You  will  be  landed  on  some  sandy 
patch  away  from  the  depot  to  blaze  in  the  sunandbe  im- 
portuned to  ma'ie  a  purchase.  If  you  don't  right  on  the 
spot  you  are  liable  to  gross  insult  by  some  young  snitch 
who  accompanies  these  free  rides  as  capper.  Historia  has 
one  case  in  view.  It  was  on  a  plot  in  Verdingo  Woods  near 
Glendale,  too  close  for  a  separate  town  and  not  close 
enough  for  an  addition.  A  stranger  was  in  the  party  and 
his  chaperone  was  a  young  man  in  light  check  and  wearing 
glasses.  He  was  the  soul  of  courtesy  and  culturel  politeness 
and  took  pains  in  showing  and  explaining.  He  had  shown 
the  Traveler  and  the  stranger  about  all  there  was  to  be 
seen,  and  to  the  certain  knowledge  of  the  Traveler  the 
stranger  was  favorably  impressed  with  one  location,  but  ex- 
plained that  he  did  not  come  prepared  to  close  a  deal,  and 
asked  his  young  escort  to  prepare  a  plat  of  the  grounds 
showing  this  particular  lot,  priced  at  $2,750.  The  escort 
agreed  to  do  so,  and  all  repared  to  a  shade  to  await  train 
back  to  the  city.  A  young  snitch  in  a  dark  straight-front 
coat  and  Stetson  hat  came  up  and  insisted  that  he  show 


the  stranger  some  lots,  pointing  the  ones  he  had  already 
seen.  "Why,"  said  he,  "I  have  been  all  over  these  lots  and 
confess  I  am  favorably  impressed."  "Come  over  to  my  tent 
and  we'll  fix  up  the  papers,  you  making  a  small  payment." 
The  stranger  explained  as  before  related,  when  the  young 
snip  strutted  back  and  with  his  thumbs  in  his  vest  arm- 
holds  sneeringly  remarked:  "I  notice  you  go  on  all  these 
excursions."  "Beg  pardon,  but  this  is  my  second  trip  only," 
replied  the  stranger.  "Oh!  yes,"  pompously  drawled  the 
snip,  "only  two  under  the  same  name."  Then  facing  the 
stranger  with  an  air  of  earth-ownership:  "I  sized  you  up 
from  the  start.  You  only  take  these  rides  because  you  can 
sponge  them  and  a  free  dinner.  You  never  had  any  inten- 
tion of  investing."  "Well,  possibly  not,"  replied  the 
stranger.  "Certainly  not  now."  Then  in  a  domineering 
tone,  "We  have  to  stand  it  from  women,  but  we  won't  stand 
it  from  men !"  The  stranger  here  left  his  snipship  vowing 
that  he  would  go  a  long  time  without  a  home  before  he  in- 
vested with  a  firm  that  employed  that  class  of  snips.  Two 
women,  one  from  New  York  and  the  other  from  Columbus, 


too,"  said  the  Ohioan;  "and  if  it  wasn't  so  far  to  the  sta- 
tion I  would  not  ride  back  in  their  coach."  Of  course  such 
employes  are  the  exception;  but  Use  the  small  bit  of  meat 
that  "taints  a  whole  carcas,"  the  exception  taints  the  entire 
company.  It  is  unfortunate  that  they  have  these  imposi- 
tions. Historia  gives  no  name,  because  the  young  man 
might  lose  his  job,  and  it  Wood  be  of  no  benefit.  Now,  take 
the  advice  of  Historia.  If  you  want  to  buy,  get  on  a  trolley 
or  an  auto  and  pay  your  way,  go  where  and  when  you 
please,  the  cost  is  but  a^  trifle,  a  few  cents  only.  See  a  re- 
liable real  estate  man  and  avoid  the  risk  of  being  insulted 
as  was  this  stranger.  But  of  course  the  company  would  not 
for  a  moment  countenance  discourtesy  on  the  part  of  an  em- 
ploye, and  if  known  to  them  it  would  mean  dismissal  and 
in  all  probability  with  a  swift  kick  accompaniment. 

So  far  as  the  Traveler  is  concerned,  he  received  nothing 
but  universal  courtesy  from  Mr.  E.  P.  Newport,  head  of  the 
company,  Mr.  Twining,  the  manager,  Mr.  J.  B.  Race, 
and  in  fact  from  everyone  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
And  in  this  connection,  acknowledgment  is  tendered  for  a 
generous  trolley  ride  to  Venice,  and  by  special  boat  a  circle 
of  the  miles  and  miles  of  harbor  shoreline.  The  one  great 
seaport  of  the  west,  to  the  Pacific  what  the  New  York  har- 
bor is  to  the  Atlantic — Halifav  to  the  Canadian  coast.  At 
San  Pedro  hugging  the  shore,  with  daily  comings  and  go- 
goings,  may  be  seen  the  flag  of  every  nation  floating  a 
steamer,  and  cargoes  from  every  country  of  the  commercial 
world.  The  Traveler  would  like  much  to  speak  at  length  of 
this  harbor,  of  the  men  who  couple  public  spirit,  energV  and 
a  genuine  spirit  of  financial  venture,  with  energy,  push  and 
foresight  enough  to  grasp  the  possibilities  of  Los  Angeles 
as  the  unrivaled  coast  city  of  the  Pacific — The  Newports, 
Mr.  Lowe  who  a  few  years  ago  had  only  a  dream  of  posses- 
sions, but  through  an  unconquerable  will  and  set  purpose 
his  name  is  now  a  password  to  thrift.  For  him  Mt.  Lowe 
stands  as  a  monument,  towering  like  a  Babel  to  a  near  view 
of  at  least  the  lower  heavens,  with  its  Alpine  Inn,  and  the 
Mt.  Lowe  Observatory  with  its  silver  dome  aglow  in  sun 
reflections  when  hid  from  the  lower  vales.  At  the  present 
time  there  is  in  course  of  construction  the  Lowe  theatre 
which  occupies  a  half  block"  on  Hill  street  and  which  when 
completed  will  be  one  of  the  largest  and  most  elegantly 
equipped  houses  of  amusement  in  the  world.  The  summit 
of  this  western  seat  of  divinity  is  accessible  by  trolly  to  the 
mas*  foot  near  the  southern  Kmits  of  Pasadena,  thence  up 
a  dizzy  incline  almost  perpendicular  500  feet  by  cable  cars; 
thence  again  by  electric  trolly  to  near  the  Observatory, 
and  thence  by  burro  or  horse  to  th  etopmost  point  from 
where  an  entire  world  seems  circling  about. 

Mt.  Wilson  is  the  next  highest  point,  which  also  over- 
looks Pasadena  from  the  north  and  its  valley  of  luxuriant 
fruitage.  This  is  accessible  only  by  hoof  or  auto  motor 


10 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


which  follows  a  hewed  out  trail  up  steep  grades,  down, 
then  up,  like  the  leaf  that  gradually  unfolds  by  forging  a 
notch  ahead,  then  draws  back  a  pace  to  take  a  new  bulge, 
each  bulge  forging  a  trifle  farther  than  the  subsequent 
until  a  lengthy  limb,  so  each  ascent  along  this  trail  reaches 
a  higher  point  than  the  subsequent  one  until  you  stand  on 
the  very  dome  of  the  western  continent.  This  is  a  delight- 
ful ride,  exceedingly  scenic  and  full  of  startling  thrills, 
horse  curves  and  the  Jap  alphabet.  On  the  summit  is  a 
Winding  in  spirals,  cutting  the  letters  S,  W  and  V,  in 
commodious  hotel  and  lunch  booths.  This  ride  involves 
about  fifty  miles.  This  trip  to  Mt.  Lowe  was  made  still 
more  enjoyable,  being  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Wallace  E. 
Miller  and  daughter,  Las  Angeles  visitors  from  Oklahoma 
City,  now  guests  at  the  Hotel  Roslyn. 

The  Mount  Lowe  Daily  News  is  an  enterprise  by  Mr. 
W.  A.  Meador  who  has  a  job  office  and  other  material  on 
the  ground  and  gets  out  a  daily  of  the  above  name.  An 
octavo,  14  x  18,  printed  in  green.  Besides  illustrations  and 
interesting  matter  pertaining  to  Mt.  Lowe,  it  contains  a 
daily  roster  of  visitors.  The  writer  was  there  August  20, 
and  out  of  276  visitors,  those  from  Oklahoma  were,  besides 
"me":  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  and  Billy  Stout,  Edwin  and 
Mary  Rice,  Mrs.  W.  F.  Miller  and  son,  of  Oklahoma  City; 
Marion  Vermillion,  Shattuck;  Mrs.  R.  Montgomery,  Tulsa. 

The  trip  to  Mt.  Lowe  was  made  more  pleasant  by  Mrs. 
W.  E.  Miller  and  son  of  Oklahoma  City,  being  members  of 
the  party.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  were  guests  at  the  Van 
Nuys,  one  of  the  elite  hotels  of  Los  Angeles.  Also  in  a 
brief  climb  up  the  hilly  slopes  from  Alpine  Inn  in  company 
with  Miss  Loreno  Koeber  of  the  California  Music  store,  who 
happened  to  be  wandering  up  the  slope  at  the  same  time. 


A  pretty  letter  from  Miss  Lorena  received  after  arriving 
at  Oklahoma  City,  too  late  for  extended  mention. 

That  young  adonis  on  the  front  platform  of  the  Mt. 
Low  cable  observation  car  is  the  writer,  the  center  of  the 
trio  of  young  women  is  Loreno  Koeber. 


Ready    for    the    Drop— 1,300    Feet    by    Cable 


The   Beautiful  Verdu  Valley 

The  Verdu  valley,  its  woodlands  and  foot  hills  and 
high  cerrated  ridges  with  their  skyward  peaks  conspire 
in  a  lovely  beauty-area  with  its  varying  shift  of  scenes.  In 
the  16th  century  the  Verdus  were  granted  a  large  body  of 
land  in  California  by  the  king  of  Spain.  This  took  in  the 
Beverly  hills  now  overlooking  Hollywood  and  Culver  City, 
movie  seats  of  the  Goldwin  system  and  other  movie  plants, 
ranging  down  southerly  for  fifty  miles  taking  in  the  wooded 
plot  of  the  Newports.  On  this  stands  the  old  original 
Verdu  home  built  centuries  ago,  still  a  sightly  structure, 
though  of  but  one  low  story  and  on  primitive  architecture, 
with  a  rustic  porch  along  the  entire  side  length,  embowered 
by  large  grape  vines  whose  interminable  branches  weave 
in  a  Branstock  bower  over  the  porch  and  the  old  roof.  This 
vine  was  planted  over  one  hundred  years  ago  by  the 
daughter  of  Theodore  Verdu,  she  being  still  alive,  the  only 
surviving  member  of  the  once  prolicic  Verdu  household. 
She  resides  in  a  quaint  and  rustic  home  near  this  scene,  and 
at  the  age  of  120  retains  her  faculties  and  delights  Jin 
conning  over  the  travails  of  pioneer  life  and  scenes  and 
tragedies  and  joys  of  two  centuries.  For  centuries  the 
Verdus  held  undisputed  sway  over  this  vast  tract  of  vale 
and  mountain  wilderness;  but  as  the  older  member  gave 
way  to  the  newer  generations  the  possessions  were  grad- 
ually wrested  from  them,  until  today  the  small  patch  where 
lives  the  venerable  relic  is  all  that  remains  in  the  name  of 
Verdu. 

The  Los  Angeles  Historical  Society  is  homed  in  the 
heart  of  the  business  section  and  is  nresided  over  by 
Messrs.  Pierson  Worrall  Banning  and  Willis  Milnor  Dixon, 
both  of  whom  give  their  services  free,  and  go  down  gen- 
erously into  their  own  private  funds  for  sustaining  and 
keeping  up  the  work.  The  library  consists  for  the  most 
part  of  bound  volues,  pamphlets,  manuscripts  and  clip- 
pings— all  bound,  touching  America's  war  periods — The 
Revolution,  war  of  1812,  Mexican  War,  Rebellion,  Brush 
with  Spain,  and  the  late  European  slaughter.  Especial 
stress  is  lain  on  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  the  Revolution. 
Any  items  on  these  lines  will  be  welcomely  received.  The 
unselfish  devotion  of  Messrs.  Banning  and  Dixon  in  this 
essentia*  work  should  certainly  be  appreciated  by  thV 
entire  state,  and  especially  by  the  citizens  of  Los  Angeles. 

The  Oklahoma  Colony 

The  Oklahoma-California  association  with  headquarters 
at  Ninth  and  South  Main  street,  Los  Angeles,  contains 
about  twenty  thousand  names,  besides  visitors,  and  it  is 
probable  at  least  twenty-five  per  cent  of  those  finding  homes 
in  the  Golden  State  have  not  registered,  which  everyone 
should  do.  Above  all,  no  one  visiting  Los  Angeles  from 
another  state  should  neglect  to  call  at  the  National  State 
association  headquarters,  where  at  all  hours  of  the  day  will 
be  found  Mr.  C.  H.  Parsons,  secretary,  ever  with  a  cordial 
welcome.  He  is  an  ex-newspaper  man  from  Maquokata, 
Iowa,  and  an  enthusiast  in  behalf  of  the  various  state  as- 
sociations. Each  state  holds  an  annual  reunion  and  monthly 
meetings  between  at  one  of  the  near  resorts.  Blank  rosters 
are  furnished  and  posted  in  convenient  places  on  the  meeting 
ground,  by  states.  After  each  meeting  these  rosters  are 
taken  to  headquarters  and  bound  by  states  in  handy  vol- 
umes. The  Traveler  did  not  have  an  opportunity  to  attend 
any  of  these  reunions  except  the  monthly  picnic  of  ex- 
Kansans  at  Sycamore  Grove,  a  beautiful  Eden  with  no 
flaming  sword  over  the  gate,  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
city  and  accessible  by  trolley  and  electric  lines.  At  this 
J.  P.  St.  John,  widow  of  the  late  ex-governor,  resides  at 
reunion  many  old  friends  of  former  days  were  met.  Mrs. 
Long  Beech,  and  was  one  of  the  speakers  on  this  occasion. 
Mrs.  St.  John  was  a  relative  of  Cynthiana  Parser,  the 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


11 


white  captive  who  became  the  mother  of  the  recent  Kiowa 
Chief  Quanah  Parker.  She  wrote  a  history  of  Cynthiana, 
but  Historia  has  never  been  able  to  secure  a  copy. 

The  Oklahoma  colony  from  Oklahoma  City  in  Los 
Angeles  includes:  Hon.  Milton  J.  Bryon,  ex-member  of 
the  legislature  from  Shawnee,  but  later  of  Oklahoma  City. 
Mr.  Bryan,  besides  being  president  of  the  Oklahoma-Cali- 
fornia association,  is  assistant  city  attorney.  He  is  a  cousin 
of  William  Jennings  Bryan.  Ed  L.  Dunn  is  in  the  law 
practice.  Martin  J.  Bentley,  ex-Indian  agent  at  Shawnee, 
William  F.  Young,  connected  with  the  Oklahoma  Constitu- 
tional convention,  is  in  the  real  estate  business.  Charley 
Reickard  and  Tom  Dolph,  recently  of  the  Grand  Avenue 
hotel,  have  a  hotel  on  East  Sixth  street.  Bill  Rogers,  ex- 
high  school  student  who  did  amateur  stunts  at  the  Metropol- 
itan, now  Palace — when  Wayne  Campbell  was  playing  leads, 
has  a  movie  studio  at  Hollywood.  Jack  and  Will  Green, 
ex-restaurant  men,  in  the  wall  paper  business;  Jack  was 
republican  candidate  for  the  legislature,  primaries  1920. 
J.  E.  Green,  no  relation  to  Will  and  Jack,  ex-realty  man,  in 
the  same  line.  Oklahoma  Bob  Albright,  known  in  musicial 
and  footlight  circles;  in  charge  of  the  Pantages  theatre  in 
company  with  his  father  and  brother  Frank.  F.  L.  Ward, 
recently  on  the  .state  capitol  force.  B.  W.  Warwick,  in 
the  hardware  line.  Dr.  T.  F.  Ratlidge,  recently  connected 
with  Dr.  Carver  as  a  chiropractor.  Mr.  Ruel  Haskell,  r., 
recently  received  a  photo  of  T.  F.  as  he  looked  through  the 
jail  bars  for  practicing  without  a  license.  Mrs.  W.  H.  L. 
("Swamp")  Campbell,  whose  husband  was  first  clerk  of  the 
supreme  court  under  statehood.  Mrs.  D.  M.  Smith,  wife  of 
D.  M.  Smith,  of  the  mail  service,  brother  of  Capt.  A.  W. 
Smith,  is  in  the  medical  practice  at  San  Francisco.  Lester 
Gum,  brother  of  Eugene,  of  the  Colcord,  and  of  Mrs.  E.  A. 
Pritchard,  of  the  Public  Service  Magazine.  Harry  Osborn, 
from  McAlester,  at  Avelon,  Catalina  Island.  Lon  Long- 
well,  from  McAlester,  at  Los  Angeles.  C.  M.  Jones  and 
Judge  J.  W.  Hocker.  John  Eastman  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  J.  N.  Hoeffer.  Miss  Edith  Johnson  of  the  State 
School  Land  department,  2539  Pico  street,  in  main  offices 
of  Los  Angeles  street  line  railroad.  Mrs.  Ida  M.  Schobridge 
at  231  E  Avenue;  G.  W.  Grace  at  911  South  Main.  George 
W.  Parsons  at  625  South  VanNuys.  Chas.  F.  Simons  at 
200  E.  Avenue  51.  Frank  Boazman,  pioneer  wholesale  and 
retail  jeweler.  Mrs.  Otto  McPheters,  daughter  of  N.  B. 
White  of  Oklahoma  City,  at  654  60th  street,  the  family  of 
Dr.  Higgins  who  skinned  J.  C.  Adams  out  of  the  claim 
which  includes  the  ground  where  the  court  house  now  stands. 
Fred  H.  Reed,  C.  I.  Smock,  C.  F.  Ziegler,  Chas.  Hotchkiss, 
A.  J.  Regress,  John  Carson,  Mrs.  Joe  Heim,  mother  of  Al- 
bert Heim  of  the  State  Health  department. 
Ed  Cook,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  First  National  Jb'aink, 
at  Long  Beech;  A.  L.  Frick,  Chas  F.  Taylor,  C.  O.  Russell, 
A.  L.  Frick,  Chas.  F.  Taylor,  C.  O.  Russell,  Fred  H.  Reed, 
C.  L.  Smocs,  C.  F.  Ziegler,  Chas.  Hotchkiss,  A.  J.  Kegress, 
John  Carson,  Mrs.  Joe  Heim,  mother  of  Albert  Heim  of  the 
State  Health  department. 

Mr.  C.  E.  Wilson,  whose  father  was  the  first  marshal  of 
Enid,  O'"da.,  and  who  was  killed  in  a  duel  wherein  Re- 
ceiver Patterson  of  the  government  land  office  was  also 
•"filled,  J.  L.  Isenberg  of  the  Enid  Wave  being  mixed  up  in 
the  tragedy.  Isenberg  is  also  a  citizen  of  Los  Angeles, 
while  Junior  Wilson  is  on  the  Los  Angeles  Evening  Herald. 
Hon.  Roy  J.  Williams,  ex-educator,  newspaper  man  and 
Oklahoma  legislator,  now  on  a  fruit  farm  near  Anheim. 
Mrs.  J.  W.  McNeal,  recently  of  Tulsa,  is  now  in  Long 
Beech.  (Joe  McNeal,  as  he  was  famiriarly  called,  was  the 
pioneer  banker  of  Guthrie,  moving  to  Tulsa  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  banking  business  until  his  death  two  years  ago. 

Joe  Lone,  ex-Oklahoma  Cityan,  now  owns  the 
army  and  navy  store,  or  "The  Little  Department  Store,"  at 
San  Pedro. 

Other  Oklahoma  Cityans  scattered  over  California  in- 
clude: Mrs.  Virginia  E.  Sutton,  first  teacher  in  Oklahoma 
county,  organizer  and  first  president  of  the  '89ers,  in  charge 
of  Oklahoma  exhibit  at  San  Francisco,  1915,  has  a  neat 
cottage  on  West  California,  Pasadena,  where  Mrs.  John 


Brandenburg,  sister  of  Governor  J.  B.  A.  Robertson,  also 
resides.  Charley  Reynolds  whose  brother  carries  the  keys 
to  the  Elks'  hall  at  San  Diego.  Judge  Jesse  Dunn,  in  the 
law  practice  at  Oakland.  Miss  Edith  Allen  Phelps,  for  a 
number  of  years  in  charge  of  the  Carnegie  Library,  is  in 
the  same  line  of  work  at  Pasa  Roubles.  Her  father,  Col. 
John  E.  Phelps,  being  at  the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Sawtell, 
having  served  in  the  Union  army  as  cavalry  colonel  during 
the  entire  rebellion,  his  brother  John  S.  Phelps  having 
served  as  governor  of  Missouri.  J.  H.  McCartney,  at  San 
Diego.  W.  H.  Sadler,  deputy  under  Sheriff  O'Brien,  at 
Gardena.  Fred  Doolin,  recently  of  the  postal  service,  postal 
clerk  at  Fresno.  J.  H.  Christman,  ex-Buick  dealer,  is  at 
Long  Beech  in  the  same  line.  Owen,  brother  of  Rees  Parry, 
in  the  loose-leaf  printing  business,  has  a  little  patch  near 
Hollywood  where  he  keeps  a  bee  and  a  fritter  tree,  and 
the  only  species  of  ducks  giving  milk.  J.  A.  Matthews, 
son  of  Commissioner  of  State  Charities,  at  Big  Tree  in  the 
Edison  Electric  service.  Dr.  U.  L.  Russell  at  Hollywood. 
W.  T.  S.  Hunt,  a  member  of  the  Oklahoma  Constitutional 
Convention,  is  at  Hollywood.  Tom  Has-iett,  at  San  Diego. 
Judge  W.  H.  Scott,  who  in  early  days  kept  a  number  of 
prominent  newspaper  men  like  Charley  Barrett,  Elmer 
Brown,  Frank  McMasters  and  Jack  Burke,  and  Sheriff 
Fightmaster  in  jail  for  saying  saucy  things  about  him,  in 
Oakland  trying  to  wor  kup  a  movie  enterprise.  W.  B.  Lee- 
craft,  brother  of  State  Treasurer  Col.  R.  N.  Leecraft,  is 
county  registrar  at  Santa  Anna.  Another  brother,  Albert 
C.,  is  with  the  First  National  Bank  at  Oakland,  while  a 
cousin  also  resides  there.  J.  H.  Linn  who  owns  considerable 
business  property  in  Oklahoma  City  including  a  business 
block  on  Second  street,  is  at  Long  Beech.  R.  A.  Bowles, 
brother  of  A.  M.  Bowls,  of  the  Bowls  Printing  house,  is 
Southern  Pacific  Engineer  at  Newman.  Nate  Downer,  at 
Long  Beech.  John  D.  I.angford,  ex-state  land  commis- 
sioner, at  Alhambra.  M.  L.  Blackwelder,  father  of  Guy, 
recently  in  the  city  government,  at  Alhambra.  Thomas  A. 
Samson,  from  Muskogee,  and  W.  R.  Gilbert,  from  Duncan, 
in  the  law  practice  at  Lon  Angeles.  Mr.  Haskett,  now  at 
San  Diego.  Mrs.  Frank  Chilcott,  sister-in-law  of  our  Bob 
Chilcott  of  Guthrie,  in  Los  Angeles,  as  olso  is  her  son 
John,  and  Bob's  sister,  Miss  Lillian  Chilcott.  R.  M.  Chil- 
cott has  been  with  the  Bartlett  Loan  and  Realty  company 
so  long  that  to  mention  the  time  would  be  a  give-away  on 
his  age,  and  he  is  still  active  in  that  line  at  Guthrie.  Alex 
and  Florence  Adler  from  Guthrie,  at  Los  Angeles.  Judge 
Brownwood  Bell,  first  judge  of  the  county  at  Sayre,  near 
Los  Angeles  where  his  father-in-law  Wm.  Logner  also  re- 
sides. O.  B.  Keith,  a  former  political  entity  of  Oklahoma 
City,  in  Los  Angeles.  Sherman  Evans,  brother-in-law  to 
Hon.  Wm.  Grimes,  at  Long  Beech.  Mrs.  Joe  W.  McNeil 
from  Tulsa,  at  Long  Beech.  Mr.  McNeal  founded  the  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Commerce  in  Guthrie  'at  the  1889  opening 
where  he  resided  until  statehood,  being  the  republican  nom- 
inee for  governor  vs.  Lee  Cruce;  he  moved  to  Tulsa  after 
statehood  and  founded  the  First  National  Bank  there,  dying 
about  three  years  ago.  He  was  for  many  years  treasurer 
of  the  Oklahoma  Historical  society.  Harvy  Winebrenner, 
recently  on  the  faculty  of  the  Tonkawa  Preparatory  school, 
in  the  art  department  of  the  Long  Beech  College.  Mr. 
Winebrenner  was  born  in  Oklahoma,  and  was  the  first  one 
ot  turn  out  a  piece  of  stucco  sculpture,  bust  of  Professor 
Murdaugh,  ex-president  of  Central  Normal  at  Edmond, 
which  he  generously  presented  to  the  Oklahoma  Historical 
society.  Arch  W.  Anderson,  from  Enid,  is  in  Los  Angeles, 
as  is  also  Spencer  H.  Allen,  a  former  druggist  of  Enid.  Jno. 
C.  T.  Moore,  father  of  Judge  Charles  Mooi;e  of  Oklahoma 
City,  is  in  Ventura,  county  clerk  reporter,  formerly  of  Enid. 
Jack  Burke  who  founded  the  Norman  Transcript,  and  who 
did  service  for  talking  saucy  about  Judge  W.  H.  Scott, 
with  numerous  others,  now  enjoying  life  "intents"  on  the 
San  Diego  beech.  Ed  Shields,  ex-sheriff  of  Garfield  county. 
Prof.  Hightower,  ex-superintendent  of  school  at  Altus, 
teaching  in  Los  Angeles.  M.  M.  McCord,  ex-druggist  of 
Enid,  at  Long  Beech  where  Sam  Murgen,  ex-grain  man  and 
Sherman  Stanwurd  of  Enid,  also  resides.  Tom  Mix,  once 


12 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


marshal  of  Bartlesville,  has  a  movie  plant  of  his  own  at 
Mixville,  just  out  from  Los  Angeles.  Ed  T.  Reid,  ex-court 
cler'i  of  Oklahoma  City,  resides  in  Los  Angeles.  J.  A. 
Matthews,  son  of  W.  H.  Matthews,  state  charities  commis- 
sioner, is  now  at  Big  Tree  in  the  service  of  the  Edison 
Electric  company.  Mrs.  D.  M.  Smith,  wife  of  D.  M.  Smith 
of  the  mail  service  in  Oklahoma  City,  now  in  Los  Angeles, 
while  a  brother  of  Mr.  Smith,  Captain  A.  W.  Smith,  is  in 
the  medical  practice  at  San  Francisco.  Dr.  U.  L.  Russell 
from  Oklahoma  City,  now  in  Hollywood.  Carson  Albert 
and  Florence  Adler  from  Guthrie.  George  Noble  from  Mc- 
Alester,,  father  of  Wm.  Noble  of  the  State  Industrial  Com- 
mission, 7538  East  Washington,  Los  Angeles.  E.  A.  Stahl- 
naker,  surveyor  of  Kingfisher  county  in  territorial  days,  is 
in  Los  Angeles.  Captain  J.  W.  DeFord,  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  Chandler  and  a  member  of  the  Oklahoma  legislature 
from  Lincoln  county,  is  in  Los  Angeles.  Hon.  Wm.  Grimes, 
first  United  States  territorial  marshal,  territorial  secretary 
at  time  of  statehood,  and  chairman  of  the  territorial  and 
national  republican  committee,  president  Loan  and  Trust 
company,  at  Alhambra,  where  he  also  owns  a  small  planta- 
tion with  a  high-board  partitiion  between  him  and  the  little 
farm  owned  by  our  own  Little  Giant  Dennis  O'Flynn,  to 
keep  their  cats  on  their  own  side  of  the  shinney.  L)on 
Whorton,  founder  of  the  Guthrie  Democrat  at  the  1889 
opening,  of  the  Perry  Sentinel  at  the  1893  strip  opening, 
and  for  ten  years  president  of  the  Oklahoma  Historical  So- 
ciety, lives  on  a  fruit  and  chicken  farm  adjoining  Gardena, 
where  "ye"  enjoyed  a  most  agreeable  afternoon  with  the 
genial  Lon  and  his  amiable  wife  and  daughter,  Mrs.  Frank 
Brandenburg,  sister  of  Harry  Lowe  from  Tulsa,  in  the 
garage  business  at  Palms,  where  J.  E.  Gates,  also  from 
Tulsa,  is  a  leading  grocer,  surrounded  by  his  good  family. 
H.  A.  Bell,  brother  of  A.  M.  Bell  of  Shamrock,  is  in  the 
cigar  and  tobacco  business  at  61  South  Sixth  street,  San 
Diego.  Acknowledgement  is  made  of  many  courtesies  from 
Mr.  Bell  while  in  the  lower  harbor  city. 

W.  B.  Leecraft,  brother  of  Col.  R.  N.  Leecraft,  state 
treasurer  of  Oklahoma,  at  Santa  Anna;  Walter  Seibert  from 
Oklahoma  City,  Southern  Pacific  engineer  at  San  Jose 
where  his  father  also  resides.  Joe  Long,  fancy  merchan- 
dise, San  Pedro;  Thomas  Bullock,  lumberman,  Somers;  Ed 
A.  King,  early  pioneer  of  Kingfisher,  Pacific  Grove;  J.  H. 
Vosburg,  ex-bookey  and  supply  man  of  Oklahoma  City, 
Porterville;  Glenn  Sipes,  son  of  Hon  Jasper  Sipes,  president 
Oklahoma  Historical  Society,  San  Diego.  W.  B.  Leecraft, 
brother  of  Col.  R.  N.  Leecraft,  state  treasurer  and  member 
of  the  Oklahoma  Historical  Society,  Santa  Anna  City  reg- 
istrar. Harry  Scott,  Avalon.  C.  E.  Morris,  ex-member 
State  Board  of  Affairs,  attorney  for  Pacific  Electric.  Mr. 
Ballard  of  Oklahoma  City  property  interests,  Long  Beech. 
Gerald  Bender,  Chickasha  oil  man,  Long  Beech.  Jack  Car- 
man, Chickasha  ex-saloon  and  restaurant  man,  Long  Beech. 
Photographer  Vreeland  of  Enid,  San  Diego.  Charley  Rey- 
nolds, whose  brother  carries  the  keys  of  the  Oklahoma  City 
Elks  Hall,  San  Diego.  Oakland— Judge  W.  H.  Scott,  en- 
deavoring to  organize  a  movie  scheme.  It  was  Judge  Scott 
who  as  a  Cleveland  appointee  on  the  bench  of  Oklahoma 
kept  up  county  expense  feeding  various  editors  and  officials 
through  jail  gates.  Prof.  Getzinger,  from  the  State  Uni- 
versity, Berkley  (University  of  California).  El  Center — 
John  C.  Bitter,  Fresno.  James  Burns,  ex-clerk  of  King- 
fisher county;  Fred  Doolin,  postal  clerk;  Elanor  Dolde, 
brother  of  A.  C.  Dolde,  clerk  U.  S.  Court,  Guthrie,  Long 
Beech.  (In  Revenue  service  at  Monrovia  for  years).  E.  C. 
Clemens,  hardware  man,  Long  Beech.  John  E.  Carson, 
Long  Beech;  Fred  J.  S.  Smith,  San  Barnadino  Savings 
Ba-nk.  J.  A.  Peyton,  Hollywood.  George  E.  Marsh,  Long 
Beech.  Frank  A.  Miller,  manager  Street  Railway  and  Mis- 
sion Inn,  Riverside.  James  A.  Mead,  Passadino.  L.  A. 
Gillespie,  Hollywood.  Thomas  F.  Bullard,  Connors.  J.  S. 
Jennings,  San  Diego.  Lester,  brother  of  Eugene  P.  Gum 
and  of  Mrs.  E.  D.  Pritchard  of  the  Public  Service  Magazine, 
Oklahoma  City.  Henry  Crosby,  whose  sons  conduct  numer- 
ous drug  houses  in  Oklahoma  City.  Mrs.  Lou  (Elmer) 
Houton  of  Oklahoma  City,  Hotel  Clark.  R.  T.  Daniels, 


Tulsa,  978  Eden  Avenue.  Jim  and  Larry  DeeBanks,  Guthrie 
transfer  men.  George,  brother  of  Wm.  a  Frederickson  of 
Oklahoma  City,  in  detective  service.  Finis  Fox,  from  Pur- 
cell,  Metro  studio.  Mrs.  Frank  E.  Dayton,  formerly 
Blanche  Bowman.  Mrs.  Archer  Gibson,  formerly  Mary 
Peyton,  Brighton  Wilkeshire  building.  J.  A.  Garland, 
president  Real  Estate  Board.  G.  W.  Grace,  911  S.  Main. 
W.  E.  Graham,  Tulsa  oil  man.  W.  I.  R.  Gilbert  from  Dun- 
can, with  Southern  Pacific  legal  department.  Mrs.  Ella 
Boyson,  1731  9th  Avenue.  Charles  Graves,  first  vice-presi- 
dent Merchants  and  Farmers'  National.  Beaumont  Haskell, 
Tulsa  oil  man,  Rooseveltan  to  a  frazzle,  with  nine  lovely  and 
lovable  daughters  of  marriageable  age  and  temper  ament. 
George  H.  Williams,  prominent  Shriner.  H.  M.  Hamilton, 
Tulsa  oil  man.  F.  A.  Salome,  with  Salome-Fletcher,  Fox- 
Heller  building,  San  Diego.  Hon.  Roy  J.  Williams,  ex- 
educator,  ex-newspaper  man,  ex-member  Oklahoma  legis- 
lature, Hollywood.  Albert  C.  Leecraft,  brother  of  Col.  R. 
N.  Leecraft,  Oakland  where  a  cousin  also  resides.  Russell, 
E.  G.,  219  Kerchoff  building.  Ross,  Mrs.  J.  S.,  Tulsa,  mother 
of  Ayren  F.  Ross  of  the  State  Auditor's  office.  Reedy,  H. 
R.,  from  Oklahoma  City.  Reed,  Fred  E.,  808  Syndicate 
building.  Schobridge,  Ida  M.,  231  E.  Avenue.  Smock,  W. 
H.,  formerly  with  Bank  of  Commerce,  Oklahoma  City,  presi- 
dent Trust  and  Savings  Bank.  Stone,  Duke,  attorney. 
Stahlnaker,  E.  A.,  ex-surveyor  of  Kingfisher  county,  in  com. 
business,  1020  E.  6th.  Simmons,  Chas.  E.,  2000  E  Ave.  51. 
Seay,  Ralph,  nephew  of  late  ex-governor  A.  J.  Seay  who 
died  in  Los  Angeles  some  years  ago.  Tighlman,  Hon.  Wm., 
early  day  United  States  Marshal  of  Oklahoma,  ex-member 
legislature  from  Lincoln  county,  late  chief  of  police,  Okla- 
homa City,  now  leader  in  "Last  of  the  Oklahoma  Outlaws," 
his  own  production.  Thorn,  Ed.,  ex-Oklahoma  City  realty 
man.  Wm.  Taylor,  430  W.  9th.  Watchman,  E.,  ex-Tulsa 
oil  man.  Lengley,  Bert,  from  Tulsa.  Little,  H.  M.,  assist- 
ant manager  Electric  Pacific.  McConnell,  R.  N.,  formerly 
with  Hon.  Wm.  Grimes  as  assistant  secretary  territory  at 
Guthrie.  McMillan,  Chas.,  general  manager  elm$rlc  rail- 
way. McPheters,  Mrs.  Otto,  daughter  of  D.  M.  White  of 
Oklahoma  City,  654  E.  60th.  Montgomery,  Alfred,  ex- 
Tulsa  painter,"  1246  W.  48tb.  Moms,  E.  E.,  Pactific  Rail- 
way attorney,  670  S.  Main.  N.ewbury,  T.  E.,  3rd  vice-presi- 
dent Farmers  and  Merchants  National.  Noble,  George, 
brother  Wm.  Noble  of  the  State  Industrial  Commission,  7538 
W.  Washington.  Peck,  W.  L.,  ex-realties  in  Oklahoma 
City,  1909  Taft  Avenue.  Pickering,  O.  E.,  prominent  in 
lodge  wor'i.  Russell,  Vivian,  formerly  Lulu  Garrison,  sister 
of  ex-mayor  Ed  Overholser  of  Oklahoma  City,  and  founder 
of  the  Overholser  theater.  Russell,  A.  A.,  from  Tulsa, 
miniature  painter  at  153  E.  15th.  George  H.  Williams. 
Al  J.  Jennings,  democratic  candidate  for  county  attorney, 
then  for  governor,  author  of  "Beating  Back"  movie,  and  his 
brother  John  D.,  attorney. 

At  Los  Angeles — Mrs.  C.  M.  Caine,  sister  of  D.  W. 
Steer,  an  Oklahoma  City  restaurant  man.  G.  H.  Griffith, 
who  established  the  first  bank  at  Lone  Wolf,  brother-in- 
law  of  H.  A.  Kroeger  of  Oklahoma  City.  Mrs.  William 
Wimm,  special  friend  of  Mr.  Leo  M.  Flick  of  Oklahoma 
City.  G.  A.  Parsons  at  630  Van  Nuys.  H.  G.  Pearsons 
and  B.  A.  Brundidge.  J.  E.  Moore  from  Scullin.  C.  X. 
Johnson,  ex-president  Oklahoma-CaliforniaAssociation.  J. 
I.  Choate  and  Fred  McNabb,  ex-secretaries  of  the  associa- 
tion, the  latter  recently  moved!  to  Arizona.  Bernard  Pot- 
ter, native  of  Missouri,  lawyer,  Brighton  Apartments,  Wilk- 
shire  Boulevard,  was  delegate  to  the  divorce  congress  in 
Washington  city,  1906;  prominent  in  Masonic  club  circles. 
H.  H.  Smock,  last  territorial  bank  commissioner;  officer  of 
the  Security  Trust  and  Savings  Bank.  M.  S.  Gilbert,  Black- 
well  banker  in  territorial  days.  Frank  Gillespie,  Tulsa 
jeweler,  one  of  the  wealthiest  of  Oklahoma  oil  men. 

A.  T.  Schwartz,  Granite  merchant.  Edmund  Franz, 
brother  of  Ex-Governor  Frank  Franz,  democratic  candi- 
date for  congress  in  1908,  at  the  time  Frank  was  republican 
candidate  for  governor,  Mr.  Franz  built  the  Franz  Hotel 
in  Enid.  A.  C.  Farmer,  who  organized  the  Lincoln  Invest- 
ment Company  in  company  with  Frazier,  Johnson  and 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


13 


others,  and  who  built  the  Poor  Prophet  Home  near  Okla- 
homa City.  Will  Stokes,  Okeene  merchant,  at  San  Bernar- 
dino. George  Wilson,  Alva  real  estate  man,  Alhambra; 
John  Witten,  who  owns  1,000  acres  of  land  near  Altus, 
San  Diego.  Jack  Reno,  early  hotel  man  at  Mangum,  San 
Diego.  J.  A.  Hunter,  Mangum  merchant,  Pasadena.  George 
Stiles,  Geary  merchant,  Yuma.  F.  A.  Grosse  of  the  Okla- 
homa City  Construmtion  Company,  at  Hollywood,  where 
ie  owns  numerous  cottages. 

George  Black,  early  Tolagon,  later  attorney  in  Okla- 
homa City,  then  in  the  Tulsa  oil  game.  J.  B.  Ferguson, 
early-day  lawyer  at  Kingfisher,  later  a  banker  at  Enid,  at 
San  Diego.  Tom  Gilchrist  and  H.  S.  Walling,  wealthy 
Tulsa  oil  men,  at  Long  Beach.  Mr.  Helig,  at  one  time 
connected  with  the  Cadillac,  Oklahoma  City,  in  the  same 
business  at  Los  Angeles.  Mr.  Harris,  at  one  time  manager 
of  the  Egbert  Hotel  in  Oklahoma  City,  in  charge  of  the 
Skyler  at  Long  Beach.  Charles  L.  Chandler,  native  of 
Iowa,  lawyer,  residence  at  Glendale  near  Los  Angeles.  J. 
H.  Fletcher  and  D.  M.  Massey  from  southwest  Oklahoma, 
at  Selma.  T.  W.  Cowdrick  and  Ed  Sylvester,  at  Spring- 
ville.  Cook  L.  Smith,  recent  oil  king  at  Muskogee,  later  of 
Colorado,  at  San  Bernardino.  Eli  Brown,  recently  in  the 
wholesale  grocery  business  in  Oklahoma  City;  Frank  C. 
Cook,  early  political  wheel-horse  of  the  Washita,  who  ran 
a  paper  at  Cloud  Chief  until  they  lost  the  county  seat  to 
Cordell,  when  he  moved  to  Oklahoma  City  and  attempted 
to  break  into  the  legislature  as  a  republican  when  that 
party  was  shy  on  votes.  W.  E.  Nations,  Albert  Stoner, 
Glendale;  Leo  Jackson,  Whittier. 

On  The  Homeward  Trail 

The  first  layover  on  the  return  trip  was  for  a  night  at 
Maracopa.  Although  a  junction  point  with  perhaps  five 
miles  of  side-track,  the  town  consists  exclusively  of  a  water 
tank,  a  depot  and  a  hotel,  with  not  even  a  garden  patch, 
not  a  foot  of  land  for  miles  in  every  direction  where  the 
hand  of  hupsbandry  ever  touched — not  a  furrow,  but  one 
broad  continent  of  sage  brush.  From  here  a  side-trip  was 
taken  to  Phoenix,  capital  of  Arizona.  While  there  we  had 
the  pleasure  of  a  long  visit  with  Governor  Thomas  E.. 
Campbell  whose  lineage  doves  in  with  the  writer's,  his  house- 
hold being  of  the  Eastern  branch.  His  brother  John  H  is 
a  member  of  the  board  of  regents  of  the  state  educational 
institutions  including  the  University  at  Tucson,  his  as- 
sociates on  the  regency  being  Messrs.  R.  B.  Orndorf,  once 
owner  of  the  hotel  of  that  name;  Harry  W.  Lowe,  J.  R. 
Gates,  A.  B.  Bandeen,  with  A.  C.  Held  as  president.  The 
State  Library,  State  Historical  Society,  Indian  School,  and 
chamber  of  commerce  were  also  visited  points,  where  the 
many  courtesies  extended  calls  for  merited  acknowledg- 
ment. At  the  Indian  School  we  were  taken  an  automobile 
jaunt  over  the  grounds  and  taken  through  the  various 
buildings.  Mr.  J.  B.  Brov/n,  the  superintendent,  was  for 
years  connected  with  the  Union  Indian  agency  at  Muskogee. 

The  second  stop-over  after  leaving  Los  Angeles  was 
at  Tucson,  the  ancient  pueblo  of  the  Salt  River  Valley. 
Seat  of  Arizona  government  until  statehood  when  the  en- 
abling act  designated  Phoenix  as  the  capital.  Tucson  is 
now  a  beautiful  city,  and  counts  in  its  assets  many  ancient 
landmarks,  including  old  missions,  one  built  in  1600,  another 
in  1777.  The  old  territorial  capitol,  University  of  Cali- 
fornia, a  historical  society,  a  beautiful  park,  intervening 
between  the  depot  and  the  main  city — a  park  margined  with 
a  wide  spread  of  ground  vines,  inside  of  this,  a  magin  line 
of  tall  trimmed  pines  towering  fifty  to  seventy-five  feet 
high.  Still  inside  of  this  a  thieVset  hedge  of  blooming 
magnolias  in  which  the  Spanish  umbrella  tree,  the  pepper 
and  other  tropical  shrubs  mingle.  The  park  is  well  pathed 
with  cement  walks  through  plots  of  green  sward,  and  in  the 
center  spraying  fountain  in  a  circle  reservoir.  Street  cars 
reach  out  in  different  directions.  While  here  the  Traveler 
made  his  home  at  the  Orndorf  as  guest  of  Landlord  J.  F. 


Whorton,  who  assigned  him  a  large  room  on  the  second 
floor.  This  room  is  20  feet  square  with  windows  reaching 
to  the  ceiling,  11  feet,  and  overlooking  the  main  thorough- 
fares of  the  city.  This  room  is  kept  especially  for  chosen 
guests.  In  this  General  Fremont  made  headquarters,  as 
also  did  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  Col.  Bill  Cody,  Col.  Bryan 
and  other  eminents.  The  entire  furniture  settings  is  the 
same  as  that  in  Fremont's  day.  The  writer  promised  to 
send  a  framed  photo  to  hang  on  the  old  historic 
walls.  Mr.  Whorton  is  by  no  means  a  snob  of  the  East,  nor 


The   Orndorff — Mr.   and   Mrs.   Wharton 

a  tenderfoot.  He  has  been  over  the  world  somewhat  and 
lived  an  active  and  varigated  career.  An  Easterner  by 
birth,  he  made  himself  usefully  known  in  various  fields  in- 
cluding which  was  as  a  Washington  correspondent.  His 
father  was  quite  prominent  in  political  circles  in  his  day, 
being  close  to  President  Lincoln  and  a  member  of  his  po- 
litical houhehold.  In  early  manhood  Landlord  Whorton 
caught  the  small  wee  whispering  call  of  the  wild  and  came 
west  where  he  purchased  the  Orndorf.  He  is  that  genial 
and  mixer  class  that  commends  itself  to  western  tastes, 
and  by  his  ever-bland  welcome  has  become  a  favorite  with 
tourists  and  the  traveling  public  in  general,  as  well  as  being 
held  in  high  esteem  by  his  home-people.  Mr.  Orndorff 
who  in  the  40's  overhauled  the  old  Phillips  and  re-vhrist- 
ened  it  from  the  Phillips  to  the  present  name,  is  now  prom- 
inent in  business  circles  and  in  on  the  board  of  regency 
of  state  institutions  with  other  "eminents."  The  Orndorf 
was  first  built  in  1777  when  the  now  great  city  was  just 
budding  into  a  Pueblo,  when  the  friars  were  in  command. 
Subsequently  gone  over  in  1849.  It  was  originally  called 
the  Phillips;  next,  the  Commercial,  then  changed  to  the 
Orndorf  by  which  name  it  now  goes. 

Tucson  has  a  historical  collection  with  Mr.  Roulholtz 
in  charge,  who  has  gathered  in  a  creditable  collection  of 
historic  matter  pertaining:  mostly  to  Arizona  and  the  Salt 
Valley  region,  lobrary  being  housed  in  an  ample  room. 
Mr.  Roulholtz  is  an  old  newspaper  man  who  has  taken 
the  Keeley  cure  against  that  profession  and  devotes  his 
time  to  the  work  in  hand,  and  that  without  salary  or  fe. 
Arizona  could  well  afford  to  make  a  small  donation  for 
carrying  on  this  work  which  if  neglected  will  in  the  future 
be  regretted. 

Where  the   Lid   Has   Never   Been   On 

During  the  lay-over  at  El  Paso,  a  brief  visit  was  made 
across  the  Rio  Grande  to  Juarez  on  the  border-land  of 
Mexico.  It  was  Sunday  morning,  and  as  a  passport  was 
essential  and  none  to  be  procured  on  this  day,  the  Traveler 
had  to  resort  to  his  fund  of  risk.  Boarding  a  trolly  car, 
the  bridge  was  crossed,  and  on  the  other  side  a  Mexician 
officer  in  rich  uniform  boarded  to  take  up  passports.  When 
the  Traveler  was  reached  and  he  met  the  earnest,  solemn 
and  determined,  yet  pleasant  face  of  that  officer,  he  made 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


the  venture.  "Passport,  please,  senior,"  said  the  officer  with 
a  polite  bow  and  natural  smile.  Assuming  a  bold  front,  a 
folder  card  with  address  and  business  on  one  side  and  a 
portrait  of  the  Traveler  on  the  other  was  handed  him. 
The  officer  examined  the  card,  the  portrait  and  then  care- 
fully scanned  the  owner  of  that  card.  "The  passport,1 
senior,"  repeated  the  officer  again  with  a  bow  and  .'a 
smile.  At  this  the  Traveler  rose,  pointing  to  the  card* 
"That,  my  friend,  is  a  passport  anywhere  in  the  world." 
The  officer  evidently  in  somewhat  of  a  puzzle  again  scanned 
first  the  carded  man  and  then  the  card.  "But  this  is  no 
passport.  It  is  not  signed.  Sorry,  senior,  but  you  must  get 
off  the  car  and  go  back.  You  get  passport  signed  in  El 
Paso  tomorrow."  The  command  to  "get  off  the  car  and  go 
back,"  came  with  an  earnest  irresistible,  though  with  pleas- 
ing grace.  The  writer  got  off,  and — the  officer  then  passed 
on  through  the  car  to  ta'ie  up  other  passports.  The  Traveler 
did  as  commanded:  got  off  the  car,  went  back  to  El  Paso. 
But  not  until  he  had  made  a  tour  of  the  quaint  old  border 
Mexican  village  with  its  bull  ring,  its  Monte  Carlo,  the 


My_  Passport-  Into_  Juarez, 
Mexico,  Sunday  Morning, 
September  25,  1921. 


W.  P.  Campbell,  Custodian  in 
Charge  State  Historical  So- 
ciety, Oklahoma  City,  Okla., 

Publisher      of      "HISTORIA" 


old  St.  Miguel  church  whose  grim  walls  have  stood  the 
centuries  and  whose  golden  treasures  ever  sacred,  ever 
under  close  vigilance,  too  sacred  for  vulgar  eyes  are  still 
kept  under  religious  vigilance.  In  Jaurez  everything 
is  wide  open  from  peanuckle  to  Monte  Carlo  and  bull  fights, 
with  a  saloon  on  almost  every  corner  and  in  between 
Several  of  these  were  visited  and  in  one  a  draught  of  real 
beer  with  a  real  broncho  kick  in  it.  Every  resort  was 
crowded  and  each  doing  a  get-rich-quick  business.  Just 
across  the  bridge  lies  El  Paso  with  its  90,000  thirsty  throats, 
only  six  cents  to  Paradise  where  the  elixir  of  the  gods 
fl-ows  in  endless  streams,  and  where  you  can  shake  a  pair  o' 
dice  without  fear  of  the  festive  cop.  So  has  the -old  town 
an  outside  limitless  field  from  which  to  draw  and  thrive — 
all  the  vast  bone-dry  regions  of  Texas,  Arizona,  New 
Mexico  and  visitors  from  every  part  of  the  world.  While 
glasses  made  ceaseless  music,  and  song  and  jigs  and  a  happy 
throng  was  in  each  resort,  the  surprise  at  the  utmost  good 
order  prevailing.  Not  a  drunk  man,  not  a  dissolute  woman 
was  seen.  Most  of  these  saloons  are  run  by  Americans, 
who  seem  to  be  the  Mexican's  bane.  Some  of  these,  i&  is 
claimed,  will  sell  to  a  customer  as  long  as  he  can  stand 
and  then  kick  him  out  to  be  cared  for  by  Mexican  officers, 


who  if  the  victim  is  an  American,  must  be  handled  with 
gloves  under  menace  of  the  American  flag.  Sometimes,  it 
Is  claimed,  the  victim  will  have  his  pockets  skinned  before 
the  kicking  out  process.  But  with  the  Mexican  bar  man 
it  is  different.  One  sufficiently  full  is  refused  further  drin'j, 
and  if  too  far  steeped  his  money  is  taken  from  him  and 
religiously  kept  until  he  sobers  up.  Mexicans  claim  that 
too  many  Americans  are  domineering,  and  full  of 
vain  boasts,  take  all  kinds  of  license  and  shield  under  the 
American  flag,  even  on  a  foreign  shore.  Ex-Governor 
Lee  Crue  has  a  cousin  in  Juarez  who  owns  and  controls 
one  of  the  biggest  saloons  in  the  town.  This  cousin  takes 
pride  in  referring  to  his  "cousin  Senior  LaCruse,  governor 
segund  les  Stades  Oklahoma  les  United  Stades." 

The  Traveler  visited  El  Paso  and  Juarez  32  years  ago 
when  with  a  party  of  something  like  one  hundred  Kansas 
editors  with  their  own  wives  or  some  one's,  their  sweet- 
hearts or  alone  visited  Chihuahua.  The  temptation  is  great 
to  say  many  things  about  that  trip,  but  space  forbids.  You 
plant  the  sprout  and  it  becomes  in  time  a  mighty  oak.  As 
you  watch  it  daily  you  do  not  see  it  grow.  It  is  only  when 
time  intervens  between  the  planting  and  its  growth  you  then 
notice  the  change.  So  El  Paso  has  grown  from  a  mere 
place  at  the  foot  of  the  higher  hills,  a  desert  of  sand  with 
only  cactus  to  relieve  the  dearth;  now  a  teeming  city  of 
90,000  thrifty  people,  with  a  complement  of  fine  homes, 
beautiful  parks  and  sky-scraper  business  marts.  Where  the 
rig  brick  Hotel  Campbell  with  its  modern  furnishings  now 
r.tands  then  stood  the  only  hotel,  a  small  one-story  frame. 
There  were  sidewalks,  no  paving,  no  street-lights — sand, 
sand,  through  which  you  had  to  plod,  and  goggle  your  eyes 
to  keep  out  the  sand-blow. 

So  has  Juarez  grown,  though  not  as  has  El  Paso,  just 
across  the  border  line — Rio  Grande — in  Texas.  But  from 
a  mere  post  with  a  few  squatty  adobes,  it  is  now  a  real 
Mexican  city  of  thrift  and  enterprise.  Now,  those  who 
have  lived  in  these  cities  ever  since  that  day,  and  actual]}' 
contributed  to  the  great  changes,  did  not  see  them  grow 
whereas  those  who  have  not  seen  them  since  that  day,  and 
naturally  holding  them  still  in  prospect  as  they  appeared 
of  yore,  is  overwhelmed  at  the  wonderful  improvements,  the 
wonderful  strides  in  the  trail  after  commercial  and  home- 
comfort  supremacy.  While  El  Paso  is  the  great  commercial 
center;  Juarez,  being  so  near  the  border,  accessible  by  trol- 
ley, automobile,  and  even  on  foot  just  across  the  Rio 
Grande  as  border  line  with  its  foot  and  railroad  bridges — 
just  this  brief  span  between  the  Blue  laws  and — a  saloon 
on  every  corner  and 

At  El  Paso  a  most  delightful  season  was  spent  at  the 
home  of  Miss  7/ora  and  Florence  Hutzell  on  West  Boule- 
vard, and  which  included  a  delicious  "home-made"  banquet. 
The  Hutzells  were  neighbors  back  in  Wamego,  Kansas, 
when  Zora  and  Florence  were  mere  children,  now  grown 
to  beautiful  and  eharminjr  womanhood.  Their  brother  Fey- 
ette,  who  learned  the  printing:  art  with  the  Traveler  on  his 
old  Wamego  Reporter,  is  in  Los  Angeles,  where  a  number 
of  pleasant  hours  were  exhausted  with  him  conning  over 
old  Kansas  times. 

Another  pleasant  feature  of  the  El  Paso  lay-over  was  a 
visit  to  the  Texas  Turquoise  company  where  Mrs.  A.  D. 
Hudson  is  in  charge,  extended  unstinted  courtesies,  and 
bestowed  a  number  of  polished  gems  and  other  specimens 
of  stone  jewels  one  of  which  consisted  of  a  vial  full  of 
turquoise  sets  from  the  El  Paso  mines  controlled  by  this 
firm,  which,  however,  in  some  way  got  lost.  But  the  spirit 
promting  the  contribution  is  appreciated  as  much  as  though 
it  had  not  gotten  away.  This  firm  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive dealers  in  gems  in  the  west,  as  well  as  among  the 
longest  established,  having  occupied  their  present  quarters 
for  over  fifteen  years.  Anyone  having  stones  to  polish  or 
who  wishes  to  purchase  anything  in  the  gem  line  need  not 
hesitate  to  place  their  order,  either  in  person  or  by  mail, 
with  this  unquestionably  reliable  firm. 


HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


16 


Romance   of   the   Train — Chapter    II. 

Her  complexion  was  fair. 
With  dark  flowing  hair; 
Of  Ilion  a  delicate  strain. 
And  I  ne'er  shall  forget, 
Till  life's  star  is  set. 
The  sweet  little  girl 
I   met  on  the   train. 

Her  voice  soft  and  low. 
With  a  musical  flow, 
Frank,  and  yet  void  is  of  vain, 
And   I   ne'er   shall   forget, 
Till  life's  star  shall  set. 
The  sweet  little  girl. 
I  met  on   the  train. 

A  change  from  the  Santa  Fe  to  the  Rock  Island  at 
Tucumcari  involves  a  lay-over  from  noon  until  early  twi- 
light. When  a  few  miles  out  from  the  station  the  Traveler 
has  his  cheeks  buried  in  his  hands,  elbows 
on  the  open  window  sill  as  he  gazes  off 
into  the  smoky  distance,  his  mind  for  the 
moment  in  the  midst  of  nil.  To  the  south 
a  broken  ring  of  hazy  light  circles  about 
the  low  swinging  moon,  and  off  in  the 
early  twilight  a  dorsel  of  golden  drapery 
lays  the  boundry  of  drowsy  day,  where 
purple  blends  with  crimson  and  sunset 
arrows  shoot  up  in  spindles  of  fiery  glow, 
merging  in  the  silver  of  higher  skies,  as 
the  fair  goddess  of  evening  rides  the 
star-gemmed  car  of  night,  all  con- 
spiring in  an  enthralling  scene. 

Bewildering  charm  of  sunset  shades, 
Where  Clymene  bathes  the  panoply  of  night 
In   a  shower  of   golden   spray; 
Transfixed  we  stand,  at  the  wondrous  sight 
Amazed,  and  lost  in  reverie. 

Gradually  the  skies  darken  and  spread  out  in  a  crystal 
expanse  over  which  stars  keep  vigil  reflecting  diamond 
lusters  on  the  gently  waving  mirror  below.  Beyond  the 
utmost  rim  of  this  liquid  sheen  two  forms  in  the  drapery  of 
light  rise  up — pale  shades  that  move  without  force.  Then 
slowly  the  waters  sink,  swallowed  by  the  thirsty  sands.  And 
short  way  again  may  be  seen  two  forms  rise  up  from  the 
mirage  main  like  ghosts  in  shrouds  of  airy  white.  One  dis- 
plays in  faint  outline  a  velvet  crown,  and  a  corsage  front  of 
crimson  that  reflects  vague  purple,  and  spangles  that  mock 
the  gleaming  settings  on  the  mirage  sands.  The  vision 
passes,  and  the  Traveler  draws  within  from  the  window, 
rubs  his  eyes  a  moment  as  if  arousing  from  a  sleep.  Rises, 
stretches,  and  strives  to  regain  self,  then  languidly  drops 
into  the  seat,  turns  face  to  the  rear,  resting  his  chin  on 
the  seat  back.  A  few  seats  farther  bac's  may  be  noticed 
two  figures,  whose  attire  proclaims  them  as  females,  their 
backs  to  the  Traveler.  One  is  leaning  against  the  side  cas- 
ing of  the  window,  evidently  in  the  land  of  doze,  her  face 
shaded  with  her  hand.  The  other's  face  is  nestled  in  the 
bosom  of  the  first  described.  Again  he  wonders  in  swift 
fancy  as — 

The  mind  once  more  takes  capricious  flight, 
Hither  and  thither  on  pinions  of  light, 
A  spirit  flirting  from  place  to  place, 
Overcoming   time    and    space. 

Again  to  the  scene  in  the  car  on  the  way  out,  the  story 
of  the  struggles  in  the  flood,  the  rescue,  Mrs.  Gab  and  Mr. 
Drum,  and  the  woman  with  seal  brown  hat,  and  the  parting 
scene  at  Palmer  Lake.  Then  shifting  to  the  present  he  is 
on  the  window  end  of  the  rearward  seat.  Nestled  on  his 
bosom  is  Veva,  though  somewhat  changed  in  atttire,  her 
hair  no  longer  in  flowing  waves,  but  hanging  in  a  braid 
down  her  back.  Notwithstanding  the  more  modern  attire 


and  style  in  hair  arrangement  there  is  slight  disappointment 
— it  is  not  she  whom  he  met  on  the  way  out.  And  a  moment 
he  inadvertantly  gazes  out;  then  on  turning  he  finds  him- 
self looking  down  into — not  the  changed  countenance,  but 
responsive  to  wish  it  is  the  face  of  Veva — the  Veva  he  met 
on  the  outgoing  way,  with  flowing  hair  and  beaded  head- 
band. And  looks  up  so  fondly  shy  as  two  white-gowned 
arms  again  encircle  his  neck,  and  as  faces  rearward: 
"Would  it  be  wrong  for  Veva?"  That  moment!  Eternity 
of  bliss  1  Lingering  charm  of  sweetened  chrism! 

It  is  well  in  the  night  and  occupants  of  the  coach  have 
stretched  each  in  the  embrace  of  noiseless  sleep,  not  a 
single  snore.  Outside  all  nature  seems  hushed  in  the  be- 
witching sorcery  of  night,  save  low  soft  murmur  of  a 
threading  stream  lulling  to  slumber  the  indolent  winds. 
Off  in  the  near  distance  rise  the  sparsely  wooded  hills  where 
velvet  shadows  dance  in  baton  time  to  tuneful  leaves.  Skirt- 
ing the  foothills  a  crystal  lake  over  which  a  miriad  of  saltant 
stars  dance  in  arial  reels  reflecting  in  shimering  mirage  in 
the  glassy  depths  like  lighted  tapirs  in  a  buried  world.  Just 
that  silence  of  awe  that  tempts  the  keeper  of  the  poppy  cave 
to  venture  forth.  The  Traveler  endeavors  to  brush  away 
intruding  reveries,  and  finally  joins  the  other  occupants  in 
the  kindly  folds  of  sweet  sleep  in  which  the  truant  mind 
takes  license  with  the  resting  body  to  stray  once  more  in 
vision  paths.  Returns  once  more  the  scenes  of  the  outward 
way.  But  with  the  broad  light  and  the  waking  sleepers  the 
truant  mind  returns  and  the  Traveler  is  himself  again. 

But  as  the  fickle  matron  of  the  s'sies, 
From  her  chariot  a  moment  designs  to  halt, 
To  bathe  the  Traveler's  brow  with  tears, 
Nor  sorrow,  but  joy,  exultant  in  her  conquest, 
Over  receptive  victims  of  her  amorous  jest, 
Mounts  again,  and  scales  the  gilded  bars, 
Nor  further  reckons  the  sleepers  idle  fears, 
Who  wakes  to  find  love's  realm  a  habitless  vault. 
A  sudden  lurch  of  the  car  arouses  him,  as  it  also  does 
fort  he  brushes  away  the  reverie,  faces  toward  the  erstwhile 
the  sleeping  twain  to  the  rear  of  him.     With  successful  ef- 
sleepers  to  rear,  who  by  this  time  have  faced  about  and  se- 
cured comfortabzle  positions,  though  reversed. 

A  moment  he  gazes  abstractly  down  at  the  two  women, 
then  a  moment  as  if  searching  his  mind. 
Can  all  this  be  real? 
"Or  does   some   wierd   deception 
O'er  the  sense  prevail? 

The  Traveler  arouses  from  sweet  reverie  with  slight 
self-reprove,  and  dismissing  the  intruder  returns  to  the 
realm  of  sober  reason.  But  inadvertantly  he  casts  optics 
to  the  rear  just  as  the  mysterious  twain  straighten  from 
their  brief  rest.  He  has  involuntarily  sauntered  back  as  the 
twain  reverse  positions,  they  cast  their  vision  about  and — an 
expression  of  surprise,  then  of  amazement  as  their  eyes  meet 
those  of  the  Traveler.  Then  a  reason  of  mutual  recognition. 
The  Traveler  is  motioned  to  take  the  seat  in  front,  the  trio 
thus  visa  vi.  For  a  time  three  faces  bend  over  the  narrow 
chasm  until  their  brows  almost  meet  and  for  some  time 
there  are  low  voices  mingling  in  recitals,  in  eafch  other's 
past,  where  bitter  and  sweet  have  mingled.  But  it  were 
better  to  lower  the  valance  until —  *  *  * 


After  arriving  home  a  letter  came  in  a  white  envelope 
with  Amarillo  postmark,  and  addressed  in  a  fine  and  delicate 
hand.  Although  the  Traveler  spent  some  hours  in  Amarillo, 
he  recalled  meeting  no  female,  and  this  was  no  doubt  the 
hand  of  some  female.  There  was  a  brief  parly  with  self, 
with  more  or  less  recurring  visions  backward  to  the  past 
scenes  related.  Opening  the  envelope  he  draws  forth  e 
photograph  with  no  sign  or  indication.  But  there  was  no 
mistake  as  to  its  identity.  As  he  crumples  the  envelope  to 
cast  it  into  the  waste  he  notices  a  slip  of  paper  adhering  to 
the  inside.  He  takes  this  out,  and  there  in  the  same  fine  and 
delicate  hand  "Veva  sends  picture  as  she  tell  you  on  the  car. 
Maybe  sometime  you  write  for  Veva.  Maybe  then  you  do 
never  any  more  go  way  from  her." 


16 


The  itinery  included:  Kansas,  Newton;  Colorado,  Den- 
ver, Pueblo;  Utah — Salt  Lake;  California,  Alhambra.  Ava- 
lon,  Balboa  Beech,  Culver  City,  Eagle  Rock  City,  Edendale, 
Gardena,  Garavanza,  Glendale,  Harbor  City,  Hollywood, 
Jolla  Caves,  Los  Angeles,  Maywood,  Mt.  Lowe,  Mt.  Wilson, 
Mixville,  Newport  Beech,  Pasadena,  Palms,  Redonda  Beech, 
Riverside,  San  Pedro,  San  Gabriel,  Harbor,  Santa  Minco, 
Sawtell,  Sycamore  Grove,  Venice  Beech,  Wilmington  Beech. 
On  the  return:  Arizona,  Maricopa,  Phoenix,  Tucson.  New 
Mexico,  Tucumcari.  Texas,  El  Paso,  Amarillo.  Mexico, 
Juarez.  Oklahoma:  Texola. 

The  route  traveled  was  via  the  Santa  Fe  System — 
main  line  to  Pueblo  where  a  side-trip  was  provided  to 
Denver.  From  Pueblo  to  Salt  Lake.  On  the  Western  Pacific 
to  San  Francisco,  crossing  the  Bay  from  Oakland,  a  real 
romantic  '  water  way,  with  the  beautiful  Oakland  in  the 
rear,  the  high  rising  island  of  Alameda  which  is  bounded 

Vy  the  steamer  on  the  way  across,  and  San  Francisco 
v.harfage,  and  the  great  city  on  the  higher  lands  beyond. 

'  From  San  Francisco  on  the  return  via  coast  line  to  L'os 
Angeles  and  thence  via  Maricopa  and  Tucson  to  El  Paso 
via  Southern  Pacific,  and  via  Tucumcari,  New  Mexico,  and 
Amarillo,  Texas,  crossing  the  Texas-Oklahoma  border  at 
Texola.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  miles  through  Eastern 
Colorado  the  line  is  never  out  of  a  valley  the  entire  way 
going  and  coming;  scarcely  a  cut  or  fill,  and  very  few 
bridges  and  culverts.  This  makes  the  way  a  safer  one 
with  delays  and  accidents  to  the  minimum.  And  yet, 
do  not  for  a  moment  think  the  route  a  monotonous  one 
nor  too  swift  for  ample  observation,  the  speed  being  an 
average  of  not  to  exceed  thirty  miles  an  hour,  with  but  few 
stops;  however,  it  makes  up  for  lac's  of  "cannon  ball"  speed. 
For  on  either  .side  of  the  iron  trail  the  entire  way  rise  up 
from  foothills' the  great  mountain  ranges  with  their  vari- 
gated  brown  and  green  serrate  combs  and  Babel-towering 
peaks,  sometimes  in  rubbing  distance,  then  in  the  farther 
smoky  reaches.  Thus  is  the  way  a  continuous  route  of 
scenic  shift  of  beauty  and  dazzling  wonder.  And,  too,  you 
vill  find  everyone  connected  with  the  train  service  the  soul 
of  politeness  and  pains-taking  in  looking  after  the  comfort 
of  tourists.  If  you  have  never  before  visited  the  Pacific, 
Historia  feels  free  to  commend  this  route.  Round-trips  en- 
title to  a  stop-over  at  any  point  on  the  way. 

In  going  from  Oklahoma  to  California  and  return  one 
will  be  surprised  at  the  vast  domain  he  will  see  from  his 
window  of  untamed  valley  lands,  with  as  latent  promise  as 
any  land  the  plow  ever  disturbed.  He  will  also  be  surprised 
at  the  extent  of  lands  never  touched  by  the  hand  of  hus- 
bandry. It  is  safe  to  say  that  from  Los  Angeles  until  the 
Texas"  Panhandle  he  will  look  out  upon  not  less  than  200,- 
000,000  acres  of  this  untamed  land — sufficient  to  home 
every  homeless  head  of  family  in  the  United  States.  Why 
is  all  this?  Can  it  be  that  this  semi-continent  of  latent 
luxury  is  owned  by  vast  landed  interests  and  held  at  such 
figures  as  to  make  a  home  unattainable  by  the  man  of  small 
means?  True,  the  rivers  and  streams  are  but  rivers  and 
streams  of  sand  over  which  water  never  flows.  But  there  is 
scarcely  an  acre  where  water  cannot  be  reached  at  a  depth 
of  ten  to  thirty,  or  forty  feet  at  the  most,  with  an  inex- 
haustible underflow.  Then  why  is  it  permitted  to  remain 
untouched  by  industry?  Do  rich  interests  pay  a  tax  on 
their  holdings  anywhere  in  sight  of  valuations  or  prices  de- 
manded to  the  home-seeker?  If  not,  why?  Do  they  so 
Historia  his  speech  on  the  "American  Oven  Shop  will 
control  legislatures  as  to  throttle  laws  compelling  them  to 
pay  at  least  a  mede  of  taxes?  Do  they  control  courts  to 
render  decisions  making  them  immune?  Would  they  hold 
this  domain  from  market  if  laws  compelled  them  to  pay  a  tax 
on  a  valuation  of  say  only  one-tenth  of  their  asking  price? 
Will  ihc  homeless  man,  the  homeless  woman  ever  learn  that 
no  one  has  a  single  right  without  asserting  it;  without  as- 
sering  it;  without  the  gift  to  maintain  that  right?  Don'<t 
say  the  homeless  do  not  want  homes.  Give  the  Historia  man 
a  concession  of  say  ten  to  fifteen  thousand  acres  of  this 
land  in  compact  form  as  convenient,  in  reachable  terms,  and 


he  promises  that  within  ninety  days  he  can  organize  ,. 
colony  of  fifty  heads  of  families  each  with  two  to  five  thou- 
sand dollars  and  willing  hands  who  will  dare  the  life  of  the 
wild  to  make  a  home,  to  make  this  land  which  now  sprouts 
nothing  but  sage-brush  and  cactus  bloom  with  flowers,  groan 
with  fruitage  and  lay  green  with  grains  and  other  vendure. 
Nrow  when  you  read  this,  will  letters  follow  after  this  im- 
port? 

San   Francisco — Los   Angeles — or — 
Headquarters   Land   Department — 
Publisher  Historia,   Oklahoma   City. 

Dear  Sir: — I  have  read  your  review  of  California  trip 
from  start  to  finish,  and  have  been  much  interested,  es- 
pecially in  your  land  suggestions,  in  defference  to  which 
permit  me  to  say  that  this  company  will  place  at  your  bp- 
tion  amount  of  lands  indicated,  and  that  on  such  terms  that 
we  feel  sure  you  will  find  reasonable.  For  any  detail  we 
will  be  pleased  to  hear  from  you  either  in  person,  by  ac.L 
self  on  behalf  of  this  company  ready  and  anxious  to^o- 
credited  representative,  or  by  correspondence.  Holding*^- 
operate  with  you  on  your  suggested  lines,  I  am,  etc. 

Land  Commissioner. 


Mrs.  Quinton  of  Lafayette,  Indiana,  writes  to  ".now 
how  the  town  of  Kingfisher  was  named.  There  are  two 
versions:  One  that  in  an  early  day  two  pioneers  lived  near 
neighbors  on  a  small  stream.  One  of  these  pioneers  was 
named  King  and  the  other  was  named  Fisher.  Each  lived 
on  the  same  small  stream.  Persons  traveling  through  who 
happened  to  camp  at  Kings  would  call  the  stream  King 
Creek.  Those  who  happened  to  camp  with  Fisher  would  call 
it  Fisher  Creek.  Finally  the  names  were  hyphenated  into 
King-Fisher;  later  the  hyphen  was  dropped.  What  became 
of  Fisher,  Historia  is  unable  to  answer,  but  King  subse- 
quently moved  to  Evalde,  Texas,  where  he  served  as  deputy 
sheriff  and  where  he  died  about  twenty  years  ago.  The  old 
house  where  he  lived  was  at  last  accounts  still  standing. 
A  daughter  resides  at  Crystal  City,  Texas. 


An  old  provert  says  that  when  the  cat's  away  the  mice 
will  play.  And  even  so,  a  few  things  happened  during  the 
Custodian's  absence.  President  Jasper  Sipes  returned  from 
his  extended  trip  across  the  pond,  full  of  pleasure-tales  of 
the  various  points  of  his  itinery,  including  the  land  of 
hether  and  bag  pipes.  Vice-President  Anton  H.  Classen 
absented  on  a  few  weeks  recreation  and  rest  from  the 
strain  of  street  railway  and  other  duties,  leaving  our  other 
vice-president,  Judge  Thomas  H.  Doyle  to  do  the  warrant- 
signing  and  claim  O.  K.  amenities. 

Brother  Buch,  now  serving  a  fourth  term  in  the  legis- 
lature, received  an  appointment  as  receiver  of  the  LTnited 
States  land  office  at  Guthrie  where  he  has  moved  with  his 
family  and  taken  charge  of  the  land  office.  Wayne  Camp- 
bell stole  away  for  a  month's  attendance  at  a  college  of 
eminent  professors  of  dramatic  art  met  in  convention  far  an 
exchange  of  experiences,  observation  and  ideas,  and  on  his 
return  established  a  studio  on  Sixth  street  with  an  enthus- 
Historical  Society  library  and  cataloging,  secured  a  more 
lucrative  position  at  the  University,  leaving  the  position 
vacant.  But  the  Oklahoma  Historical  Society  was  found  in 
its  usual  ship-state  of  order  under  the  vigilent  care  of  Ma.ior 
Thoburn  and  the  ever-loyal  Miss  Edith  Rose  Keen,  with 
snatched  hours  when  Wayne  lent  a  helping  hand,  Mrfe, 
Conlan  doing  outside  work. 


"Suggestion  for  a  movie:  Killum,  stuttering:  J-J-J-ust 
s-s-eems  s-s-s-tart  something.  (It's  catching).  Joe — 
L-1-l-etergo,  k-k-k-ill."  Sis:  "Y-y-e-s,  B-bb-  killy;  d-d-do 
s-s-t-t-tart  something"  Killum  retches  and  yawns;  (it's  catch- 
ing.) Joe  yawns,  sis  yawns,  and  one  by  one  until  the  entire 
gang  is  in  a  yawn. 


Hon.    Thomas    L.    Biaton,    M.    C.,    from    Texas,    sends 
Emancipate  the  Press"  in  H.  R.,  July  28,  1921.  > 


SUPPLEMENT— HISTORIA,  OCTOBER  1,  1921 


OKLAHOMA  HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

Besides  those  mentioned  here,  forty-one  whom  were 
handed  in  at  the  October  meeting  by  Miss  Edith  R.  Keen, 
every  editor  who  sends  his  publication  is  automatically  a 
member,  covering  every  town  and  city  in  the  State  where  a 
newspaper  is  published;  those  given  covering  fifty-three 
points.  Send  one  dollar  and  become  a  member  and  receivee 
Historia  regularly. 

Life  Members — Redmond  S.  Cole,  Pawnee;  C.  J.  Phil- 
lips, Sapulpa;  Col.  W.  H.  Hornaday,  Guthrie;  Hon.  Gabe  E. 
Parker,  Mus>iogee;  Mrs.  Rouberta  Campbell  Lawson,  No- 
wata;  Abe  Steinberger,  Oklahoma  City;  Rev.  J.  S.  Marrow, 
Atoka;  Dr.  Emmet  Starr,  Oklahoma  City;  Lincoln  McKin- 
lay,  Wichita,  Kansas;  Lon  Whorton,  Gardena,  California; 
Mrs.  J.  F.  Swords,  Dallas,  Texas. 

Annual    Memberships 

Alva — Mrs.   E.  W.   Snoddy. 

Anadarko — M.  M.  Dunn,  C.  Ross  Hume. 

Antlers — J.  F.  Moyer,  H.  C.  Nash.      

Apache — J.  W.  Hannah. 

Ardmore — A.  J.  Brady,  Walter  Colbert,  C.  L.  Ellis, 
Mrs.  J.  D.  Rickey,  Mrs.  I.  A.  Fulsom. 

Arlington    (Texas) — W.  J.   White. 

Bartlesville — Joe  Bartles,  Ellen  H.  Miller. 

Blackwell — Mart  Alverson. 

Boice  City — Charles  J.  Margo. 

Browen  Bow — James  Dyer,  S.  Severson. 

Cache — Frank  Rush. 

Carnegie — Hon.  Dan  W.   Peery. 

Claremore — Miss   Caroline   Eaton. 

Clarita — W.  M.  Dunn. 

Chandler — Mrs.  J.  L.  Rittenhause. 

Chickasha — Mrs.  J.  W.  Coner,  Miss  Anna  Lewis,  Mrs. 
R.  W.  Harness,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Jones,  Hon.  Redmond  Bond, 
Mrs.  G.  W.  Austin,  D.  C.  Mybarger. 

Coalgate — Mrs.    Carrie   LeFlore   Berry. 

Colejo— Mrs.  J.   C.  White. 

Coffeyville   (Kansas) — Pratt  Barndollar. 

Cushing — Mrs.  Blanche  Little. 

Denver   (Colorado) — Mrs.  H.  Y.  McBride. 

Dewey — Joe  Bartles. 

Dover — Hon.  W.  P.  Kimmerer. 

Edmond — Mrs.  J.  G.  Mitchell,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cowgill, 
Mrs.  Mary  F.  Randolph,  Mrs.  Emma  Estell. 

Elk  City— Mrs.   W.    S.   White. 

El  Reno — Mrs.  M.  Alice  Miller,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Coley,  Mrs. 
II.  S.  Marches,  Mrs.  Francis  Korn. 

Enid — George  Rainy,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Forbes,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Boyle. 

Grove — Jennie  C.  Fields,  Miss  Waelan  Glass. 

Guthrie — Hon.  J.  B.  Campbell,  Miss  Margaret  Dial, 
Mrs.  Anna  T.  Barde. 

Hartshorne — Mrs.  N.  W.  Fulsom,  J.  C.   McClendon. 

Helena — Mrs.  George  Hockenberry. 

Hennessey — Mrs.   Anette  Ehler. 

Holdenville — C.  M.  Lawrence. 

Hugo — Mrs.  T.  M.  Hunter. 

Holden   (Mo.) — O.   M.   Brosius. 

Idabel — D.  J.   McKinney,  Mrs.   E.   P.   Sneed. 

Jefferson— Hon.  T.  B.  Beck. 

Kansas  City   (Mo.) — Etta  D.  Ruth. 

Marshall — Mrs.  Lola  Pearson. 

McAlester — F.  M.  McMurray,  Allen  Wright,  J.  Hanna 
Tucker,  J.  C.  McClcnden,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Barnes,  Mrs.  Will 
Craig,  Mrs.  J.  B.  McAlester. 

Miami — Vern   E.   Thompson,   George  T.   Webster. 

Milburn — J.  H.  Randol. 

Muskogee— J.  F.  Brett,  Hon.  Victor  Loc^e,  Grant 
Fooreman,  Elihu  W.  Maytubby,  Miss  Alice  Robertson,  (M. 
C.),  Judge  R.  L.  Williams. 

Norman— J.  S.  Buchanan,  E.  E.  Dale,  J.  W.  Scroggs, 
C.  W.  Shannon. 

Okmulgee— Mrs.  C.  B.  Hodges,  Chas.  L.  Bucher,  W.  G. 
Buckles,  Judge  H.  R.  Christopher. 

Olney — Miss  Mabel  Wright,  Dr.  E.  N.  Wright. 


Pauls  Valley — J.  S.  Garrison. 

Pawnee — George  A.  Waters,  Joe  Davis. 

Perry — Miss  A.  W.  Tucker. 

St.  Joseph    (Mo.) — Mrs. 

Poteau — Eben  L.  Taylor,  D.  C.  McCurtain. 

Ponca  City — Mrs.  Frank  Lucas,  Miss  Harvey. 

Pryor — Thomas  J.  Harrison. 

Savanna — Oida  L.  McKay. 

Shawnee — Mrs.  W.  Q.  Adams,  Ben  J.  Clardy,  Mrs.  A. 
J.  Fluke. 

Sulphur — Mrs.  L.  B.  Dupree. 

Sayre — Hon.  ohn  A.  Whitehurst. 

Sapulpa — =Mrs.  D.  A.  McDougall,  Hon.  Don  W.  Walker. 

Stonewall — Mrs.  Thenia  Jennings,  Mrs.  Horace  Mar- 
shall. 

Stratford — F.  Bayliss,  Owen  Snoddy. 

Oklahoma  City— Col.  R.  N.  Leecraft,  Col.  R.  A.  Sneed, 
Judge  Thomas  H.  Doyle,  Anton  H.  Classen,  Jasper  Sipes, 
Hon.  Baxter  Taylor,  W.  P.  Campbell,  Miss  Edith  R.  Kneen, 
Andrew  B.  Stilwell,  C.  W.  Turner,  N.  Ellsworth,  Hon. 
Campbell  Russell,  Frank  Harrah,  Harry  Blott,  Guy  F. 
Fuller,  Buford  Coleman,  Wm.  F.  Kerr,  Geo.  Forsythe,  W. 
S.  Ingram,  Warren  Gill,  Dr.  J.  A.  Young,  E.  D.  Pritchard, 
Hal.  Johnson,  Geo.  E.  Balenti,  Eugene  P.  Gum,  R.  H. 
Wilson,  Chas.  Kendall,  W.  A.  Durant,  Houston  B.  Tehee, 
Dr.  H.  H.  Colbert,  D.  J.  Fulsom,  Gen.  Chas.  F.  Barrett, 
Mrs.  LeRoy  Long,  Mrs.  Angle  Fox,  Mr.  Joe  Klingensmith, 
Mrs.  F.  L.  Roblin,  Mrs.  Fay  Riggins,  Mrs.  Coretta  LeFlore 
Beasley,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Henderson,  Dr.  Winnie  Sanger,  Miss 
Christian  Fulsom,  Miss  Imogene  Moore,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Powell, 
Mrs.  J.  C.  Cornish,  Mrs.  Anna  Rumpel,  J.  F.  Fulsom,  Cora 
Smith,  Mrs.  Chas.  Wilson,  Mrs.  B.  H.  Colbert,  Mike  Conlan, 
Wm.  Noble,  C.  B.  Ames,  Mrs.  Sue  S.  Craver,  Miss  Caroline 
A.  Hill,  Wayne  Campbell,  Miss  Caroline  A.  Sill,  Mar- 
quette  Hotel;  Miss  Anna  Rumper,  Cadillac  Hotel. 

Tahlequah — Mrs.  L.  R.  Fite. 

Sparks — Roy  G.   Barnes. 

Tishomingo — Mrs.   D.  H.  Johnson. 

Tulsa— Clarence  B.  Douglas,  Tate  Brady,  Frank  H. 
Greer,  Mrs.  Fred  W.  Purdy,  Mrs.  G.  Earle  Shafer,  Henry 
W.  C.  Shelden,  Mrs.  Woodson  Norvell,  L.  J.  B.  Rooney. 

Valliant — Edmond  J.  Gardner. 

Vinita — Mrs.  G.   Couch,  Mrs.   A.  F.   Chamberlain. 

Washington  (D.  C.)— Hon.  J.  W.  Harreld,  Hon.  C.  D. 
Carter. 

Waurika— H.   V.   Bird. 

Wewoka— John  W.  Wilmott. 

Wilburton — Mrs.  John  Randolph  Frasier. 

Wynnewood — Mrs.  Daisey  Clemens. 


Public  program  St.  Louis  Centenial  October  5  to  15, 
auspices  St.  Louis  Centenial  association  of  which  David  R. 
Francis  is  president,  E.  M.  Delottle,  historian,  and  Eugena 
Turner,  Secretary. 


John  and  Al  Jennings  from  Oklahoma  are  in  Los 
Angeles.  The  former  is  in  the  law  practice  and  was  visited 
but  Al  was  like  the  Dutchman's  pigs — he  had  eleven,  and 
one  more  which  dodged  about  so  fast  he  couldn't  count  it. 


President  Jasper  Sopes  of  the  Oklahoma  Historical 
Society  will  furnish  Historia  a  brief  of  his  personal  im- 
pressions gathered  while  on  a  trip  across  the  waters,  when 
he  visited  France,  Great  Britain,  Scotland  and  other  foreign 
lands.  Mr.  Sipes  used  to  sling  a  fluent  pen  and  it  has  no 
doubt  not  forgot  its  cunning;  henc  ereaders  of  Historia 
may  expect  something  at  least  passably  entertaining,  if  not 
more  so. 

While  on  the  California  trip  183  bound  volumes  of  rare 
books  on  India,  border  wars,  border  life,  pioneers,  cow- 
boys, western  history,  etc.,  were  secured.  Also  a  large 
bunch  of  unbound  literature  from  the 'various  points  of  the 
itinery.  Many  of  these  are  historic,  descriptive,  statistical 
and  illustrated.  See  lists. 


,1  H3SOT3O  <A 


After  all  it  seems  good  to  get  back  to  Oklahoma.  True 
she  has  no  ocean  fronts  with  their  beeches,  nor  are  her  hills 
as  high,  nor  valleys  as  long  and  wide;  nor  yet  her  climate 
of  the  year-around  sameness  as  in  California,  especially  in 
the  range  of  Los  Angeles  where  the  weather  gauge  nevxer 
records  over  70  nor  under  60.  But  Oklahoma  hills  rise  suf- 
ficiently skyward  and  her  peaks  sufficiently  sharp  and 
towering  to  afford  as  much  scenic  effect  as  they  rise  up 
from  the  valley  and  climb  farther  toward  the  heavens.  In- 
stead of  rivers  and  streams  being  only  beds  of  sand  over 
which  water  never  flows,  her  rivers  spread  in  watery  sheens 
the  year  round,  and  her  streams  continually  gurgle  down  to 
large  waters  murmuring  a  sweeter  cadence.  Her  hills  and 
peaks  do  not  rise  up  cold  and  barren,  but  are  heavy  crowned 
from  foothill  mezas  to  summits  with  rich  leaved  foliage, 
and  embowering  shades  natures-set  and  in  profusion.  Her 
valleys  and  upper  plains  are  not  a  sightless  waste  where 
sage  brush  holds  carnival  with  sand  dunes,  but  lay  in  a 
golden  carpet  at  harvest  time  and  in  richest  green  during 
the  growing  season.  Her  rocky  cliffs  and  gorges  and  caves 
are  as  weird  and  romantic,  and  her  forests  are  thicker  stud- 
ded and  more  varigated.  She  has  no  magnolia,  but  her 
homes,  city  and  rural,  are  adorned  with  year-round  bloom 
of  endless  variety,  except  flowers  of  the  tropics,  and  even 
they  are  with  us  in  hot-houses  and  in  pots.  She  does  not 
grow  figs  and  oranges,  but  apples,  pears,  apricots,  plums, 
grapes,  cherries,  etc.,  grow  green  the  orchards  with  their 
wealth  of  fruitage.  Nor  do  they  require  irrigation,  but 
grow  under  the  summer  suns  refreshed  with  trenchant  show- 
ers. You  do  not  tire  in  this  climate  which  has  its  Shifts. 

Here  we  have  the  seasons,  the  real,  pendable  seasons — 
Spring  with  its  tender  blades  and  opening  buds,  and  its 
bowers  in  young  leafage,  and  birds  in  the  mating  as  they 
now  flit  among  the  branches,  now  cooing  love's  woodland 
song  and  building  homes  in  eaves  and  in  the  trees.  Wild 
flowers  flee's  the  meadows  and  fragrant  bloom  deck  the 
hursts  and  orchard;  season  of  tasseling  corn,  of  ripening 
fruits,  of  golden  sheaves  and  teeming  vegetable  life.  Fall 
with  its  hazy  suns,  its  balmy  air,  and  leaves  of  green  that 
blends  with  "purple  and  gold.  Season  of  the  garner  with 
heaving  bins,  and  full  larders.  Winter  with  its  falling  leaves, 
its  snowy  carpets,  its  holiday  joys.  Who  could  envy  any 
other  land  any  charm?  For  Oklahoma  has  them  all  bested 
as  a  land  of  diversified  products  as  well  as  diversified 
climate. 


TWO  NOTED  PAYNE  COUNTY  CITIZENS  DEAD 

James  Dunkin  and  Charles  Barger. 

By  Mat  Dunkin. 

JAMES  DUNKIN.— One  of  the  first  settlers  of  eastern 
Payne  county,  who  died  suddenly  in  Gushing  last  July,  was 
an  extraordinary  figure  in  Payne  county.  He  owned  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  Great  Bend,  raised  a  large  family, 
was  an  active  politician,  made  his  five  boys  pay  for  their 
raising;  was  an  ardent  member  of  the  Saints  of  God  church, 
and  those  who  claimed  to  have  known  his  history  while 
in  his  native  state  of  Kentucky,  said  he  was  a  son  of  the 
famous  Henry  Clay. 

In  spite  of  his  very  limited  education,  James  Dunkin 
was  a  powerful  local  "statesman,"  considerable  of  a  law- 
yer, and  loved  to  be  engaged  in  law-suits.  He  prided  him- 
self on  having  made  his  sons  pay  for  their  raising  from 
their  birth  to  their  21st  year,  when  he  gave  each  $50  and 
a  good  horse.  Most  of  the  Dunkin  boys  are  now  pretty  well 
fixed  in  worldly  chattels.  He  had  removed  from  his  pa- 
latial residence  in  the  Great  Bend  to  Gushing,  where  he 
died  when  nearly  80  years  old.. 

CHARLES  BARGER. — Charles  Barger,  alias  Barefoot 
Charley,  who  lived  many  years  in  eastern  Payne  county 
between  Tiger  and  Euchee  creeks,  Creek  county,  was  one 
of  the  most  industrious  and  spectacular  men  who  ever  lived 
in  Oklahoma.  He  went  barefoot  all  of  his  long  life,  includ- 
ing through  the  four  years  of  Civil  War,  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Federal  army,  and  walked  into  the  White  House  shoeless, 
bootless  and  sockless. 


Mr.  Barger's  feet  were  as  hard  as  steel;  he  often  stood 
on  the  head  of  a  rattlesnake  and  spat  tobacco  juice  into 
its  mouth.  He  lived  for  several  years  in  Arizona,  where 
he  crushed  many  a  gila  monster  with  his  bare  feet. 

He  lived  a  few  years  in  Florida,  where  he  raised  aligat- ; 
to  the  Gushing,  Oklahoma,  neighborhood  a  few  years  before  j 
ors  and  perpetually  growing  water  melons.  He  returned! 
his  death. 

"Barefoot   Charley"   was  a  very  successful   catcher  of! 
fish.     While  living  near  the  present  Pemetah,  betwen  Tiger  j 
and  Euchee  creeks.     He  was  called  "the  Fish  Wizard,"  as 
he  often  drove  shoals  of  fish  from  the  Cimarron  into  his 
seins,  and  often  caught  wagon  loads  of  fish. 

As  a  Los  Angeles  co-incidence,  the  writer  met  Mr.  E.  C. 
Williams,  of  the  Los  Angeles  Evening  Herald,  whose] 
father  was  the  first  marshal  of  Enid,  and  who  was  killed  by 
Receiver  Patterson  of  the  United  States  Land  Office,  and! 
who  in.  turn  killed  Patterson.  Now  here  is  the  co-incident:! 
J.  L.  Isenberg  who  was  responsible  for  the  tragedy  alone  i 
lives  in  Los  Angeles,  neither  knowing  the  other  resides  there.! 
The  story  of  the  killing  in  brief  is:  Isenberg,  founder  of  the] 
Enid  Wave  at  the  time  of  the  Cherokee  Strip  opening  in 
1893,  published  an  article  about  Patterson  which  so  angered 
him  that  he  went  gunning.  But  Isenberg  believed  in  safety  j 
first.  Just  then  Marshal  Williams  put  in  an  appearance  and! 
Patterson  turned  his  gun  on  him,  the  ball  entering  just  be-i 
low  the  ear.  Patterson  made  a  dive  for  the  outside  to  find 
Isenberg.  Williams,  though  with  a  mortal  wound,  stepped 
to  the  door  and  leveled  on  Patterson,  killing  him  instantly,] 
at  the  same  time  dropping  dead  from  his  wound. 

Matt  Dunbar  may  well  claim  championship  as  the 
veteran  newspaper  man  and  general  writer  in  Oklahoma, 
celebrating  his  83rd  birthday  on  October  24.  He  was  born 
in  Luxemburg  and  came  to  America  when  about  7  years 
of  age.  Mr.  Duhr  on  his  anniversary  received  numberless 
letters  of  congratulations  with  well-wishes  and  hope  that 
he  may  safely  pass  the  centenary  mars,  which  he  looks  (as  j 
if  he  would  do  with  years  to  spare,  as  he  is  as  nimble  today] 
as  a  man  of  40,  and  looks  scarcely  older  than  that. 

Now  look  for  Guthrie  on  the  map  in  black  letters.  And! 
/hy  not?  She  has  more  railroads  than  any  other  city  in  the! 
rState  except  Enid.  She  has  the  Cimarron  and  Cottonwood 
rivers  on  her  borders.  She  has  one  of  the  finest  race 
courses  in  the  State.  She  has  the  only  municipal  bath 
house  in  the  United  States  with  all  kinds  of  water — salt,  I 
brimide,  iron,  etc. — hot  and  cold.  She  has  well  under  way 
the  largest  Masonic  Temple  in  the  world  and  is  sure  to  be-  j 
come  the  mecca  for  Shriners  of  the  entire  United  States. 
She  has  two  great  newspapers — Leslie  G.  Niblack  with  his  i 
Dailer  Leader,  and  Senator  John  Galobie  with  his  State ! 
Register.  And  then  she  still  has — Judges  Bierer,  Dale  and  i 
Bowls,  Charley  Filson,  Henry  Ardery,  Chris  Madson,  Bob 
Chilcott  and  Matt  Duhr.  Oh,  yes — Buck  Campbell. 

Yes,  the  lid  is  on  tight  in  every  state  through  which  our  \ 
route  lay,  and  can  be  opened  only  by  dropping  five  dollars  a  j 
pint  in  the  slot. 

The  Southern  Booksellers'  Association  of  Southern 
California  has  memoralized  congress,  protesting  against  por- 
tions of  the  Fordney  Tariff  Bill  in  re  valuation  methods  and 
Duties  on  old  public  actions.  There  are  twenty-five  book- 
sellers in  Los  Angeles  not  including  periodical  vendors. 

Historia  is  exceedingly  pleased  to  acknowledge  receipt ! 
of  volumes  one  and  two  of  the  Anthology  and  Biblography  j 
of  Niagara  Falls,  by  Charles  Mason  Dow,  and  published  by  j 
the  J.  B.  Lyon  Company,  printers,  New  York,  1921.     These 
volumes  are  bound   in  cloth   and  contain   an  aggregate   of 
1,400  pages,  courtesy  of  the  author. 

Hon  Richard  Johnson  of  the  Bureau  of  Railway  Eco 
nomics,  Washington  City,  writes  Historia  for  information 
concerning  an  Oklahoma  book — "Iodine  and  gasoline."  Who 
(knows? 


